Jan, 2018
The local clinic in Qartaba serves over 800 patients, 70% of which are Syrian refugees. 30% is made up of Lebanese citizens from Qartaba and the surrounding area.
Lebanon’s Ministry of Health built the local clinic in Qartaba back in 1999 to serve villages in the Mount Lebanon district. It’s the only community health care center in the region, where wintertime snows often block all access to bigger cities like Beirut. The center provides a wide range of health services including pediatrics, family medicine, laboratory testing, mother and child services, medicines and more. These services are particularly important in the cold and wet winter months.
Today the clinic serves over 800 patients, 70 percent of which are Syrian refugees. The remaining 30 percent is made up of Lebanese citizens from Qartaba and thirteen other villages in the surrounding area.
Leila Khoury is a Lebanese citizen from Qartaba who has been a loyal patron of the clinic for a long time. “For years I’ve brought my three daughters here to see Dr. Elie Chedid,” she explains.
“When the weather changes – especially in the fall and winter – my girls often come down with tonsillitis and sinusitis.”
This year, when Leila took her daughters to the clinic, Dr. Chedid prescribed the medicine Clavulin. “After taking Clavulin, my girls’ symptoms eased and their temperatures got back to normal,” says Leila.
Dr. Chedid prescribes the anti-inflammatory medicine to treat sinusitis, ear infection, bronchitis and other ailments. “Our clinic needs medicines for chronic illnesses and antibiotics the most,” says Dr. Chedid.
The nurse Joumana added, “We often face shortages in seasonal and chronic medicine, especially in the winter when snow blocks the roads to Beirut, making it difficult to get supplies. There’s a huge need for medicine at this center, and the support we receive is highly valued.”
Thanks to a generous in-kind donation from Direct Relief, Qartaba’s Governmental Clinic received a shipment of Clavulin to serve the residents of this rural area. ANER Anera delivered the medicine through its local partner, YMCA.
