iloubnan - UNRWA to increase its coverage of tertiary healthcare services to Palestinian refugees in Lebanon - April 8, 2011

The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) announced today in a communiqué that following intensive fundraising efforts, the Agency will increase its coverage of tertiary healthcare services to Palestinian Refugees living in Lebanon. Following these changes, effective from 1 May 2011, the average coverage will increase from 30% to 40%.

"All Palestinian patients are eligible to benefit from this increase at all UNRWA's contracted hospitals for tertiary care services. For surgical admissions, the coverage will go up to 40% of the Ministry of Health cut rate. In the case of medical admissions, the Agency’s coverage will be raised from 200 USD to 250 USD per hospitalization day, with the duration extended from 10 to 12 days, hence increasing the ceiling per admission from 2,000 USD to 3,000 USD. "

"UNRWA continues to actively seek funds in order to further improve its tertiary healthcare service. If successful, the Agency aims to increase its coverage to 50% by the end of this year."

Earlier this year, UNRWA reached an agreement with the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health to avail at discounted rate, medications for cancer and other catastrophic diseases for Palestine Refugees, at no cost to the Lebanese Government. With this new agreement, which entered into force on 31 March 2011, Palestine Refugees are now able to make financial savings that range between 10% and 60% depending on the type of medications that they will now be purchasing from a third party provider identified by the Ministry of Public Health.

Until now, cancer patients had to buy all medications from the local market with UNRWA reimbursing them for 50% of the medication cost up to a ceiling of US $8,000 per patient per year. With this agreement, while UNRWA’s coverage and ceiling remain the same, patients will benefit from the discounted rate through lower medication costs.

Patients suffering from other catastrophic diseases will also benefit financially from the discounted price offered to them through the agreement. UNRWA continuously strives to raise funds for them to further reduce the cost of medication.

"For the past two years, UNRWA has recognized the need to improve its hospitalization services as a fair demand given the high costs in hospital care and given that Palestinians remain excluded from health insurance and social security," the communiqué stated. "In 2010, UNRWA undertook major efforts to improve secondary health care. Earlier this year, tertiary health care was declared UNRWA’s main ambitious priority in Lebanon for 2011."

Around 280,000 Refugees living in Lebanon benefit from the Agency's primary health care and hospitalization services. UNRWA is the main provider of health care services to Palestine Refugees. UNRWA operates 28 health centers inside the refugee camps and in Palestinian gatherings across Lebanon, providing free of charge basic primary health care services including medical consultations and essential medications.

The Agency almost fully covers secondary hospitalization services, which account for 85% of total hospital admissions, through its contracts with 22 hospitals (Governmental, Private and Palestinian Red Crescent). Tertiary care services, a more technologically sophisticated form of hospitalization, are provided in 15 contracted hospitals and covered partially by the Agency.