The Information office of Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Ghassan Hasbani issued the following statement:

Although we have responded to the allegations of MP Farid Boustani who claimed that we had neglected Chouf region and Deir El Qamar Government Hospital, Mr. Boustani insisted on falsifying facts and misinforming the citizens.

“We would like to thank Minister Hasbani for putting efforts in the establishment of Deir El Qamar Hospital although he is now a caretaker Health Minister. He should have attached importance to this hospital since he has become Health Minister two years ago,” said Boustani. We wish he had asked Deir El Qamar residents before slandering us. We undertook a field visit to Deir El Qamar government hospital place on 28 October 2017 and not during the caretaker government period.

Morever, we have sent a letter to the cabinet to transfer the amount of 10 billion Lebanese pounds from the Ministry’s budget to the Council for Reconstruction and Development for the completion of the hospital on 5 April 2017 and not during the caretaker government period.

Minister Hasbani is still following up on this dossier even during this period with the Italian officials in order to ensure funding for the hospital.

Boustani alleges that his development work aims at cooperating with everyone, not entering in competition with anyone. But, if he wanted to cooperate he would have sought clarification form the Ministry of Public Health.