Accomplishments as Health Minister

This page will list and briefly describe Dr Emile Bitar's main accomplishments during his tenure as Heath Minister, beginning with his very first decision, the abolition of the certificate of indigence (chahadat foukr el hal), to his last moves aimed at breaking the monopolies of the pharmaceutical industry importers.

We will analyze the establishment of the National Health Security on February 1st 1971, (Assurance Maladie) and the series of obstacles Dr Bitar had to overcome in order to make it a success. We will describe the prevention policies put in place, the creation of blood banks, the founding of the National Nursing School, the opening of several new hospitals and medical facilities in rural areas throughout Lebanon, the 24 hour / 7days a week policy that Emile Bitar enforced in public hospitals, the continuing education programs created for Health professionals, the founding of the National Bureau of Medicine, the creation of the Carnet de Santé (Personal Health Care Bulletin), the efforts to improve the situation of paramedics, the new policies for Emergency Rooms, and the reform of the administrative structure of the Health Ministry.