Add to Lebanon’s other troubles this one: A mass exodus of doctors.
More than 400 doctors have emigrated from Lebanon in 2020 alone, and more are preparing to leave. They cite the country’s corrupt political leadership, broken promises, and deteriorating living and working conditions.
“In the past year, Lebanon has been through a popular uprising against its political leaders, the bankruptcy of the state and banking system, a COVID-19 pandemic and, in August, a huge explosion at the port that destroyed swathes of Beirut,” Reuters reports. Read story here.
With the country lacking hard currency to pay for imports, its doctors “are not only seeing wages fall, but also face shortages of equipment, staff and even some basic supplies in their hospitals,” Reuters says. Among the problems: The government isn’t making the payments promised to hospitals caring for Covid-19 patients.
“This is a mass exodus,” said Dr. Fouad Boulos, a U.S.-trained M.D. who’s leaving his post as a professor at the American University of Beirut to live and work in America permanently. He reflected the sentiments of many when he said, “If I had hope I would have stayed, but I have no hope for Lebanon.”
Photo: Scene in a Beirut hospital