Economic crisis leaves Lebanon less prepared for Omicron, minister warns
Economic crisis has left Lebanon less prepared for the Omicron variant of Covid-19 than it was for previous mutations of the virus, the country’s health minister has told The National.
Firas Abiad said the departure of many doctors and nurses, and soaring prices had left the country vulnerable to the latest variant, which has prompted several countries to reintroduce restrictive measures including travel bans.
“We have a lot of people who have left the country, whether doctors or nurses,” Dr Abiad said.
“With the change in the exchange rate, with the deterioration in the economy, and our financial numbers. That means that expenses have skyrocketed for the hospitals.
“So hospitals are less prepared. I think this is something that is very important.”
Dr Abiad said the Omicron variant posed risks that compared with the Alpha variant, which caused a huge increase in the number of deaths and patients needing hospital care across…
