BEIRUT, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Lebanese Health Minister Jamil Jabak said Friday that private hospitals in Lebanon are suffering to maintain their operations, local media reported.
"We are currently working on securing the rights of these private hospitals from different stakeholders and we should all cooperate in a bid to solve this crisis," Jabak was quoted as saying by Elnashra, an online independent newspaper.
Jabak's remarks came during a joint press conference with the Syndicate of Hospitals Owners and the Lebanese Order of Physicians.
Private hospitals in Lebanon are suffering from a severe deficit amounting to 70 billion Lebanese pounds yearly (about 46 million U.S. dollars).
Some of the hospitals are shutting down while others are closing some of their departments to reduce their costs.
