Caretaker Prime Minister, Hassan Diab, chaired on Wednesday at the Grand Serail, the meeting of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for the Follow-up on Coronavirus Vaccination Plan. The meeting was attended by Ministers Zeina Akar, Imad Hoballah, Michel Najjar, Ramzi Musharrafieh, Hamad Hassan, Talal Hawat, Vartine Ohanian, and Charbel Wehbe, in addition to Parliamentary Health Committee Head, MP Assem Araji, head of the National Committee for the Management of the Vaccination file, Dr. Abdel-Rahman Al-Bizri, PCM Secretary General, Judge Mahmoud Makie, Secretary General of the Supreme Defense Council, Major General Mahmoud Al-Asmar, Drs. Walid Ammar and Mahmoud Zalzali from the MoPH’s Scientific Committee, President of the Republic’s Advisor for Health Affairs, Dr. Walid Khoury, as well as PM’s Advisors, Khodor Taleb, Petra Khoury, and Hussein Kaafarani. Minister Mohammad Fahmi and Dr. Iman Shankiti, WHO Representative to Lebanon, joined the meeting via Zoom.
PM Diab delivered the following remarks at the beginning of the meeting:
“Today, the countdown begins for the launching of the national Covid-19 vaccination campaign.
This means that we are one step closer to gradually settling back into our lives not only in Lebanon, but around the world as well.
Today we will discuss the vaccination campaign plan, which will be launched at noon.
We have been through a very difficult time. Coronavirus pandemic has placed a heavy burden on Lebanon that is already grappling with severe financial, economic, social and living crises.
We are hopeful today that triumphing over corona will restore the life cycle around the world, thus enabling Lebanon to benefit from the relaunching of the economy which will contribute to alleviating crises.
But, in fact, the key to solving crises in Lebanon lies in the formation of a government that will complement and implement the reforms we have begun, pursue negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, and initiate the implementation of the economic plan that our Government has put in place, after introducing some amendments in light of the changes that had taken place after the plan had been established.
The political priority today should be to form a government.
By roughening out the edges, we can reduce Lebanon's suffering by forming a government that will have to handle great challenges.
Forming a government is a priority so as to deal with the urgent social, living, economic and financial challenges.
We understand and hear the screams of the people... The Lebanese are facing enormous challenges. The State is providing assistance despite its difficult financial situation; the Army began distributing the new batch of assistance amounting to 400,000 LBP for about a quarter million families. It is true that this amount does not match their needs, but it contributes to alleviating the burden on them.
However, there is a huge difference between the sincere expressions of people's pain and acts of vandalism and attacks on state institutions and people's properties.
There is a big difference between people who are really in need, and between the political exploitation of their needs and distortion of rightful popular demands.
The scenes we have witnessed over the past couple of days do not resemble people’s demands, nor do they translate their suffering. This was an attempt to hijack people's demands and use them in political bickering.
The city of Tripoli shall not be subject to sabotage acts in order to deliver political messages thereof. It is unacceptable for Tripoli, or any other Lebanese region, to remain a mailbox on fire. Is not permissible to cut off the roads on the people based on a political defiant rationale.
The government is neither formed nor disrupted by burning tires, blocking roads, attacking state institutions, and targeting the internal security forces and the Lebanese army.
Unfortunately, such incidents increase the suffering of the Lebanese people. The epidemic is spreading rapidly, and had it not been for the general lockdown, we would have witnessed a national disaster. The escalating number of deaths is an indication of the extent of the imminent disaster. We would have witnessed very painful scenes in the streets and in front of the hospitals. Those who contracted the virus in recent weeks can tell how long they had to wait for their turn to get a bed at the hospital, or an oxygen machine. The Corona epidemic takes the breath of the Lebanese away, and the lockdown is an attempt to stop this rampant and deadly virus.
The nationwide lockdown has slowed the spread of the virus; if Lebanese people abide by preventive measures we can defeat the virus, get our lives back, and gradually reopen the country in a deliberate and systematic manner. But in light of the current situation, and if the Lebanese do not commit to safety measures, the epidemic will spread again at breakneck speed.
Personally, I cannot stand the tragic scenes at hospital gates.
For me, people's lives are more important than anything else.
The economy can be restored; social and living suffering can be borne with some help, but people's lives cannot be recuperated if lost.
Parents of people we lost in this epidemic have experienced this feeling and this pain, which left them with deep scars.
Patience is the key to relief, and we have to wait a few more days, until we start to see the results of the general lockdown. We do not want this lockdown to be wasted by hasty decisions.
We are open to discussion; yesterday, we launched an electronic platform to examine requests made by institutions that actually need to open, in addition to an electronic platform for passengers arriving through the airport.
Work teams have been making huge efforts for one year now to cope with the epidemic: The Coronavirus Technical Committee at the Grand Serail; the Ministry of Health’s Scientific Committee; the medical personnel everywhere. Keep it up!
Today, we will launch the vaccination plan, which was developed by the Ministry of Health; in fact, the MoPH has deployed tremendous and outstanding efforts over the past year, with very modest means, to face this epidemic. The Ministry of Health’s Vaccination Committee has also made clear and distinct efforts in this regard. We thank them all."
Afterwards, Minister Hamad Hassan and Dr. Abdel-Rahman Al-Bizri presented the Plan’s main objectives and principles.
PM Diab delivered the following remarks at the beginning of the meeting:
“Today, the countdown begins for the launching of the national Covid-19 vaccination campaign.
This means that we are one step closer to gradually settling back into our lives not only in Lebanon, but around the world as well.
Today we will discuss the vaccination campaign plan, which will be launched at noon.
We have been through a very difficult time. Coronavirus pandemic has placed a heavy burden on Lebanon that is already grappling with severe financial, economic, social and living crises.
We are hopeful today that triumphing over corona will restore the life cycle around the world, thus enabling Lebanon to benefit from the relaunching of the economy which will contribute to alleviating crises.
But, in fact, the key to solving crises in Lebanon lies in the formation of a government that will complement and implement the reforms we have begun, pursue negotiations with the International Monetary Fund, and initiate the implementation of the economic plan that our Government has put in place, after introducing some amendments in light of the changes that had taken place after the plan had been established.
The political priority today should be to form a government.
By roughening out the edges, we can reduce Lebanon's suffering by forming a government that will have to handle great challenges.
Forming a government is a priority so as to deal with the urgent social, living, economic and financial challenges.
We understand and hear the screams of the people... The Lebanese are facing enormous challenges. The State is providing assistance despite its difficult financial situation; the Army began distributing the new batch of assistance amounting to 400,000 LBP for about a quarter million families. It is true that this amount does not match their needs, but it contributes to alleviating the burden on them.
However, there is a huge difference between the sincere expressions of people's pain and acts of vandalism and attacks on state institutions and people's properties.
There is a big difference between people who are really in need, and between the political exploitation of their needs and distortion of rightful popular demands.
The scenes we have witnessed over the past couple of days do not resemble people’s demands, nor do they translate their suffering. This was an attempt to hijack people's demands and use them in political bickering.
The city of Tripoli shall not be subject to sabotage acts in order to deliver political messages thereof. It is unacceptable for Tripoli, or any other Lebanese region, to remain a mailbox on fire. Is not permissible to cut off the roads on the people based on a political defiant rationale.
The government is neither formed nor disrupted by burning tires, blocking roads, attacking state institutions, and targeting the internal security forces and the Lebanese army.
Unfortunately, such incidents increase the suffering of the Lebanese people. The epidemic is spreading rapidly, and had it not been for the general lockdown, we would have witnessed a national disaster. The escalating number of deaths is an indication of the extent of the imminent disaster. We would have witnessed very painful scenes in the streets and in front of the hospitals. Those who contracted the virus in recent weeks can tell how long they had to wait for their turn to get a bed at the hospital, or an oxygen machine. The Corona epidemic takes the breath of the Lebanese away, and the lockdown is an attempt to stop this rampant and deadly virus.
The nationwide lockdown has slowed the spread of the virus; if Lebanese people abide by preventive measures we can defeat the virus, get our lives back, and gradually reopen the country in a deliberate and systematic manner. But in light of the current situation, and if the Lebanese do not commit to safety measures, the epidemic will spread again at breakneck speed.
Personally, I cannot stand the tragic scenes at hospital gates.
For me, people's lives are more important than anything else.
The economy can be restored; social and living suffering can be borne with some help, but people's lives cannot be recuperated if lost.
Parents of people we lost in this epidemic have experienced this feeling and this pain, which left them with deep scars.
Patience is the key to relief, and we have to wait a few more days, until we start to see the results of the general lockdown. We do not want this lockdown to be wasted by hasty decisions.
We are open to discussion; yesterday, we launched an electronic platform to examine requests made by institutions that actually need to open, in addition to an electronic platform for passengers arriving through the airport.
Work teams have been making huge efforts for one year now to cope with the epidemic: The Coronavirus Technical Committee at the Grand Serail; the Ministry of Health’s Scientific Committee; the medical personnel everywhere. Keep it up!
Today, we will launch the vaccination plan, which was developed by the Ministry of Health; in fact, the MoPH has deployed tremendous and outstanding efforts over the past year, with very modest means, to face this epidemic. The Ministry of Health’s Vaccination Committee has also made clear and distinct efforts in this regard. We thank them all."
Afterwards, Minister Hamad Hassan and Dr. Abdel-Rahman Al-Bizri presented the Plan’s main objectives and principles.
