NNA - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has opened a new trauma center at the Elias Hrawi Governmental Hospital - Zahle in the Bekaa, aimed at providing urgent and specialized care to patients affected by the ongoing conflict. This initiative is part of the ICRC's broader efforts to support Lebanon's overstretched healthcare system amid escalating violence and a rising number of casualties.

The newly established trauma center can accommodate up to 30 patients and will be staffed by a dedicated team of 10 ICRC specialists, including surgeons, emergency room doctors, and nurses trained in managing complex war-related injuries who will work in close coordination with the committed medical team of the hospital.

"The opening of this trauma center is a crucial step in supporting the local healthcare system, which has been pushed to its limits," said Simone Casabianca-Aeschlimann, head of the ICRC delegation in Lebanon. "We are committed to providing immediate emergency medical care to those most in need while advocating for the protection of healthcare workers and facilities".

This center is part of a comprehensive response to address the pressure the hostilities have placed on Lebanon's health system, already weakened in recent years, aiming at supporting hospitals and primary healthcare centers, as well as several emergency medical services.

The response also includes the recent delivery of critical medical supplies to several hospitals across Lebanon, including advanced surgical kits and medicines capable of treating thousands of patients, capacity building for local medical teams and the opening of the trauma center in Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut.

About the ICRC The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is a neutral, impartial, and independent organization mandated by the Geneva Conventions to assist individuals affected by armed conflict and violence. The ICRC strives to protect lives and dignity and alleviate suffering, often in collaboration with its Red Cross and Red Crescent partners.
 

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