NNA - Japan will extend a grant to Haykel Hospital to construct its Sewage Treatment Facility, through the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Program (GGP). On January 17 2024, Ambassador MAGOSHI Masayuki signed a grant contract with, Dr. Nisrine Bazarbachi, Chief Executive Officer of Haykel Hospital.

In Lebanon, sewage treatment systems are not well developed across the country, and existing public sewage treatment facilities are barely functioning due to the unprecedented economic crisis since 2019. Such untreated wastewater, especially medical wastewater, has led to the spread of cholera and hepatitis A in the surrounding area, posing a serious public health concern.

Haykel Hospital, established in 1969 near the coast in the Rasmaska, Koura, offers quality and affordable medical care for its residents. Since the existing public sewage treatment facility in this area is also not functioning, the Hospital has been forced to discharge medical wastewater into the river without proper treatment. Considering the vital needs of a sewage treatment facility, Japan decided to support the Haykel Hospital with the construction of its own crucial sewage treatment plant. This initiative will help prevent infectious diseases and to reduce environmental burdens in the coastal areas of Tripoli and Rasmaska, where approximately 182,500 residents live.

At the signing ceremony, Ambassador MAGOSHI expressed Japan’s keenness to continue its assistance to the most vulnerable people in Lebanon. In return, Haykel Hospital expressed their gratitude for Japan’sgenerous support and emphasized the significance of this project in the region.

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