LEBANESE ASSOCIATION FOR POPULAR ASSISTANCE

( Secours Populaire Libanais )

 

Outline

 

The  Association   Secours Populaire Libanais  is a public interest, nonprofit, and nongovernmental organization. It operates in the domain of enduring and sustainable human development. Its emblem is: “Together for man”, independently of color, race, sect, or creed.

 

The Association started its operation in South Lebanon, in the year 1972. In 1974, it obtained official recognition. It opened many licensed medical dispensaries in the villages situated within the frontline zone of South Lebanon. When war broke out and started spreading in Lebanon, entailing the breakdown of public services, social and medical needs started to crop up and to increase. The Association opened a number of medical dispensaries and social centers all over Lebanon, reaching a total number of 45 centers in 1976.

 

This Association was given the status of consultant in the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

 

ACTIVITIES OF THE ASSOCIATION

 

-         Through its network of centers and through its human resources, it cooperates with other concerned parties in the domain of sustainable human development, in the poorest areas of Lebanon.

-         It provides medical services at the Association hospital in the town of Nabatie. This hospital contains 5 operation rooms, an intensive care unit, a physiotherapy ward, an X ray department, a laboratory, a dialysis department, and an ambulating clinic. The building is also designed to face emergency situations.

-         It operates thirteen medical and social centers in five governorates. The services are offered in return for a token fee. Two centers are classified, and are affiliated to the primary medical care program. One center is affiliated to the comprehensive medical care program.

-         The Association operates a primary school in the town of Barja, Chouf district. In addition it operates a musical center, called “the house of music”, in the town of Halba, district of Akkar.

-         It is tied by a partnership contract with the Ministry of Social Affairs.

-         It is active in the domain of emergency and relief during wars and natural disasters.

-         It operates social and cultural centers in Baalbek, Halba, and Saida.

-         It has many environmental activities, sharing in tree planting campaigns. It organizes seminars on environment education.

 

The  Association  secours populaire libanais envisages a most important project in the future. It is a Hospital in the town of Halba, Akkar.

 

Introduction to Akkar.

 

The governorate of Akkar comprises 216 villages and towns, which spread over 797.86 square kilometers.  It has 475 thousand inhabitants. The voters number 240,000.

 

Syrian refugees who are registered at UNHCR number about 110,000 people. A lot of refugees are not registered. A considerable number of Syrians were resident here well before the outbreak of the war in Syria.

 

Those who live below the poverty line in North Lebanon are 42.2%. According to all studies and surveys done since 1996, the district of Akkar was classified as the poorest district in all Lebanon.

 

The mainstay for livelihood of the population is still agriculture, which occupy some 19% of manpower. Lately, some light industries were introduced to the region. Along with some crafts, these light industries absorb about 10% of manpower. Akkar goernorate rely heavily on public service jobs, especially in the Armed Forces, Education, and Public Administration. Unemployment reaches 9.7%. This is the highest percentage in Lebanon.

 

Population characteristics and features related to poverty include high fertility rates. The average of family members is 5.6 persons, i.e. 1.6 higher than the general average in Lebanon.

 

This is a young population, which along with the district of Minieh-Dannieh comprise 20% of children in Lebanon. Akkar Governorate witnesses the highest percentage of marriages among minor girls. Girls who marry below the age of eighteen reach 15.2% out of the women aged between 20 and 49. Two percent of those girls married at the age of 15 or even below.

 

Schooling for children aged 7-12 reaches 59%, which is the lowest in Lebanon. In the same manner, Akkar witnesses the highest percentage of dropping from school. The percentage of illiteracy is also the highest among all districts of Lebanon.

 

MEDICAL EXPENSES:

 

The health sector in Lebanon is characterized by the increasing role of the profit seeking private sector, as well as the increasing amount of the medical bill, in comparison with incomes. The average personal payment for medical care (in current US dollars rates) reached 675 US dollars in the year 2012. This average is higher than most Arab countries, except for the oil producing countries. However, such a high level of expenses does not mean that medical services are better. A Lebanese family pays for doctors’ fees, hospitalization, and medicament: 6.8% of its monthly expenditure.

 

In Akkar, medical insurance covers only 35% of the population. Most of the covered are public servants or soldiers. The rest, i.e. 66% which includes the poorest sectors of the population does not have at all any form of medical insurance. The national percentage of those who are not covered by any medical insurance is 58%. The agricultural manpower is not covered by any insurance program.

 

HEALTH ENVIRONMENT:

 

A report prepared in 2012 by the Ministry of Health showed the weak points in the medical environment in the Governorate of Akkar. These points are:

 

-         Houses are small and crowded. More than six persons live in one room. Sometimes, sunrays never attain these rooms. In addition, you find high levels of humidity.

-         Bad roads. Absence of public transport. Some areas are situated very far. Bad living conditions. All these elements make it difficult to reach a medical care center.

-         Drinking water is contaminated, mainly because sewage water is not treated.

-         Air pollution, resulting from the burning of household garbage and agricultural trash.

 

Such a situation is reflected on the health of mothers and children. Akkar receives the lowest rates of prenatal or postnatal medical care. It has equally the highest rate of traditional birth deliveries. In addition, a study prepared in 2009 by the Ministry of Public Health in cooperation with WHO showed that the mortality rate among mothers in North Lebanon is much higher than the national average (16.1% compared to 10.7%.) The main causes of mortality are: hemorrhage, and insufficient sterilization.

 

AVAILABLE HEALTH SERVICES.

Four hospitals are now operating in Akkar. They comprise 300 beds. In addition, we have a Government Hospital, which includes sixty beds. These hospital beds must serve some 350,000 people, at a rate of one bed per one thousand persons. Specialization is very limited at Akkar Hospitals. The population has to look for better hospitals outside Akkar, that is either in Tripoli, or in Beirut. This inflates their expenses.

Akkar has 41 dispensaries. A few are government dispensaries. The rest are community dispensaries. Most of their activities are restricted to consultations, and medicaments. Some of them receive patients only one day per week.

 

Hence, the importance of building a modern and well equipped hospital in this area which is the most deprived in Lebanon. Such a hospital will offer advanced services at affordable prices for popular sectors.

 

HOSPITAL SPECIFICATIONS:

 

Introduction: The Hospital which the Lebanese Association for Popular Assistance (Secours Populaire Libanais ) will build, is a general hospital, in accordance with Western classification. It includes the following sections: surgery, internal medicine, obstetrics, gynecology, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology, pediatrics, cardiology, anesthetics.

New technologies, and new needs will also require the following sections: echography, mammography, oncology (treatment of cancerous diseases), physiotherapy, radiography, necessary storage, proper maintenance of all sorts of archives, management, mandatory services (washing section, central sterilization section, central kitchen, cloth changing rooms for medical staff and for hospital personnel.)

In order to fulfill the needs for scientific research and exchange of medical information, the Hospital has set up a multipurpose hall, equipped with modern devices and installations in order to hold seminars, and conferences. This hall may accommodate 80 persons.

 

MEDICAL WARDS AND DIVISIONS IN THE HOSPITAL:

1-                Patients wards: 3 isolation rooms. Patient rooms, with two beds each. 2 x 39 = 78 beds. 6 beds in the intensive care unit. 5 beds in the ward that prepare pregnant women for delivery. 4 beds in the dialysis ward. 5 beds in the reanimation room. Thus the total number of beds is 96 beds, without counting the beds in the reanimation room. Each room has its own WC, with ventilation. 3 desks for nurses. One bedroom for the physician who is on duty. A fourth desk is situated between the rooms which are set for pregnant women who are about to deliver. Delivery ward. Gynecology ward.

2-                Operation ward. This ward contains two big operating rooms, with an additional room to prepare the patient, a wash basin for the physician and his assistants, a room for minor surgeries with all necessary services, a reanimation room with its necessary services. In the back corridor which is clean and sterilized, there is an anesthetic room with its depository. One room for clean medical tools, one room for the meeting of physicians.

3-                X-ray ward: This ward contains a large X-ray room, a small X-ray room, with all their necessary services, a room to write final reports, with a special toilet for the physician and for nurses. A place is set up for echography, mammography, and osteoporosis. A desk is set up for the personnel, along with a toilet, a desk to deliver results, a large waiting room with separate toilets for men and women, one MRI room, with cloakrooms. 

4-                Laboratory ward with sufficient area to carry out the necessary functions.

5-                Outpatient ward: there are ten rooms for outpatient medical visits, with side-rooms for examination and auscultating. Beside every bed, there is a washing basin. In this ward, there are toilets for physicians and for the personnel.

6-                Intensive care unit: including five beds, with a desk for physicians and on duty personnel, one toilet, rooms for services and medical tools, both clean and dirty.

7-                Dialysis department: Contains 4 beds with curtains separating them. They have a private toilet. One desk for physician and nurse. One room for the necessary medical equipment.

8-                Emergency Section: A main entrance, one desk for physicians, two restrooms for physicians and for those on duty with a toilet for each room. One meeting room. Ancillary installations for clean and dirty medical services. This section contains 6 beds, separated by curtains, an orthopedic room, an X-ray room, one room for minor surgeries.

9-                One room for new born babies: One room for those who were born on time. One room for those who were born prematurely, in addition to one room to prepare milk.

10-           Obstetrics department: Two rooms for natural deliveries, one room for medical tools, one room for minor surgeries, one desk for nurses, one section for the mothers of premature babies.

11-           Sterilization department: Operation in a linear clear track, from dirty, to clean, to ready for use, passing through the desk of the person in charge.

12-           Physiotherapy departement: Reception, waiting along with archives, toilets for the personnel, spaces for all sorts of massaging, with a sports hall containing a small swimming pool.

 

General Management and Service Departments: 1- General Management Section. 2- Multipurpose hall. 3- Washing section (with a linear path, from the dirty to the clean to ready for use, passing through the person in charge. 4- Pharmacy. 5- Restaurant in the subterranean floor. It is a self-service restaurant, surrounded by a garden whose area is 25% of the terrain, i.e. 1,200 square meters. 6- Central kitchen: containing three refrigerators (meat, fish, vegetables), a room to prepare each of them, a store for grains, a room for the dietitian, a refrigerated room for the leftovers, cooking section, and a section to prepare pastries. Dish washing section divided into two parts: one part for the kitchen, and another part for the restaurant. A special area to prepare food for patients in their rooms. 7- Shelter: With 30 cm thick reinforced concrete walls, in accordance with the law; fitted with natural aeration ducts, and a 30 cm reinforced concrete roof. Easy to reach. It contains 6 toilets. 8- Telephone: General calling. Control center through a closed circuit TV network. 9- General Control Electricity Board to distribute electric current throughout the Hospital.

 

Perpendicular movement, main entrance, emergency entrance, and the entrance for outpatient consultation offices: 1- Perpendicular and horizontal movement of physicians and personnel, reaching all sections of the Hospital. The movement of visitors and employees is separate (two lifts and a staircase). 2- Service entrance. 3- Evacuation staircase for emergency cases. 4- Waiting areas in all floors.

 

 

Terrain shape. Hospital shape and architecture.

 

The terrain is situated in the plain of Halba town. The longitudinal shape of the building was a result of the terrain length, its narrowness, the percentage of allowed construction area, and the land inclination. The design made an ideal use of the terrain.

The unusual length of the building appears to be attenuated by the rooms’ balconies and windows. The outside walls of the building will be cladded with local white stone. The building will appear as if covered with rock.

 

The garden which surrounds the building from three sides is a clear indication that it is situated in an agricultural plain. On the east, the building is surrounded by the hills, on which is built the town of Halba.

 

القسم : القسم الرئيسي - الزيارات : [549] - التاريخ : 20/1/2016 - الكاتب : admin