NNA - Caretaker Health Minister Firas Abiad concluded his Saturday tour of the health sector institutions in the South and Nabatieh governorates by visiting the Turkish Emergency Hospital in the city of Sidon, where he was received by the hospital director Mona Triaki and several members of the medical and administrative staff, where he had a closer look at its health plans and sections.

In a statement by Minister Abiad, he explained that he began his Saturday tour by visiting Marjeyoun Hospital because it continued to operate under the pressure of the Israeli aggression and did not stop receiving those in need of hospitalization until the attacks reached the hospital itself. He expressed his pride that the hospital resumed its operations following the ceasefire agreement.

Abiad stressed that "the return of Marjeyoun Hospital to work, and its steadfastness with other hospitals in southern Lebanon is the most eloquent support for the return of residents to their towns and villages and for achieving their resilience there."

On concluding his tour by visiting the Turkish Hospital in Sidon, Abiad said that this stop comes to commend the great effort made by the administrative, medical and nursing staff to open this hospital that had been closed for years, amid extremely difficult circumstances and very limited resources. He pledged his ministry's ongoing support to the hospital and to the plans developed by the committee tasked with managing it in cooperation with international partners, in addition to supporting all other government hospitals alike.

Abiad renewed his gratitude to the health sector workers "who have stood firm and remained steadfast to help their families and their community," specifically addressing the workers in government hospitals "whose salaries have lost a lot of their value due to the financial crisis in Lebanon, yet they have not hesitated to perform their duties."

In response to a question, the Health Minister expressed his satisfaction with the inauguration speech of President of the Republic General Joseph Aoun and the statements of Prime Minister-designate Nawaf Salam, in terms of according special care to reconstruction and the support of the services sector.

"These statements are good tidings for the health sector, which has been facing successive crises for five years until today," Abiad said, adding, "We hope that conditions will continue to improve so that this sector can enjoy a warrior's rest and manage to advance in a way that ensures quality service to society and patients in Lebanon."

=========R.Sh.