Lebanon’s Health Ministry Provides Expiring Vaccines To Hospital Not Credited For Vaccination

Bilal Hussein

In another scandal around the vaccination program in the country, the Health Ministry sent around 200 COVID-19 vaccines to a hospital that is not accredited to conduct vaccination, including 48 doses that were 3 hours away from expiring, according to the National News Agency.

The Batroun Hospital, at the receiving end, released a statement in that regard, revealing the latest mismanagement of the vaccination rollout by the health ministry.

The hospital also noted that the vaccines it received did not include a list of registered recipients.

Simply put, the Health Ministry dispatched away 200 vaccines without verifying their validity, the right destination, and the registration list – since there was none in the package.

The Emile Bitar Hospital is among the few medical centers in Batroun. Photo by: Antoine Amrieh.

Ironically enough, the Health Minister, Hamad Hassan, has stressed a day earlier the importance of following the rules of the vaccination program.

“The centers must adhere to this plan and the dates specified through the registration platform so that violations are not repeated,” Hassan said.

Meanwhile, Hamad Hassan himself is under fire for the recent scandal of the vaccinated parliamentarians. Hassan not only permitted them to vaccinate themselves on the sly but “gifted” them the vaccines – and priority over others – to reward them for doing their job.

He even went claiming that the public reactions about it were exaggerated. In his opinion, as it appeared, it is normal that over a dozen MPs take the vaccines meant to over a dozen health workers risking their lives daily on the frontline of the pandemic.

We have a dedicated coronavirus section where you can find the latest news/updates about the pandemic in Lebanon, inform yourself with WHO-verified resources, and track the number of cases in Lebanon in real-time. Click here.