Lebanese Health Minister Announces Opening of Burn Unit at Sidon’s Turkish Hospital
Beirut, The Gulf Observer: Lebanese Health Minister Firas Abiad announced that the burn unit at Sidon’s Turkish Trauma and Rehabilitation Hospital will open on Tuesday to offer critical care for those injured amid Israel’s intensified assault on Lebanon. Speaking at a press conference in Beirut, Abiad noted that the facility in Sidon would serve as Lebanon’s primary center for burn treatment.
“This hospital will be Lebanon’s reference for burn treatment,” Minister Abiad stated, expressing gratitude to Türkiye for its support in establishing the facility through the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).
The burn unit will feature an emergency section, two operating rooms, four intensive care units, four burn-treatment beds, and specialized clinics for burn and physical therapy. Initially offered by Türkiye following the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict, the hospital was completed in 2010, and preparations for its operation have been underway since then.
Lebanon’s healthcare system has come under severe strain, with eight hospitals reportedly forced out of service due to recent Israeli strikes on medical facilities. The conflict has escalated significantly since October 2023, with Israeli forces targeting southern Lebanon and engaging in intensified cross-border warfare with Hezbollah, resulting in nearly 3,000 deaths and over 13,300 injuries in Lebanon, according to health authorities.
Minister Abiad highlighted the importance of the new facility in addressing Lebanon’s growing medical needs, as the country grapples with the humanitarian impact of the ongoing hostilities.
