The military field hospital deployed in Beirut after the tragic explosion in the Lebanese began to provide services for the wounded on Monday.
Rabat – In the wake of the devastating explosion that shook Beirut August 4, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI ordered the construction of a military field hospital. Less than a week later, the hospital has been deployed and is fully functional.
The field hospital launched in Beirut on Monday in the presence of Morocco’s Ambassador to Lebanon, M’hammed Grine. It is currently staffed by 150 people, according to state media. The medical team includes 45 physicians from “various specialties such as resuscitators, surgeons, traumatologists, ENT, ophthalmologists, burn patient treatment, neurosurgeons, pediatricians, pharmacists, as well as specialized nurses and support elements.”
Nearly 6,000 people have reported injuries since the explosion last Tuesday. At least 200 people have died from the explosion, according to Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud, as quoted by al-Marsad, with the death toll rising every day. Other sources count at least 163 casualties. Dozens more are reported missing.
King Mohamed VI installed the military hospital in Beirut to show Morocco’s support for the Lebanese. The facility also came to assist with the daunting task of providing medical assistance to the injured, director of the field hospital Professor Chekkar Kacem told Morocco’s state media. Urgent Moroccan humanitarian and medical aid for Lebanon arrived at Beirut International Airport on Friday morning.
The medical facility has all the means to treat the wounded in the explosion, Kacem said. The hospital has several sanitary facilities, including medical beds and an equipped surgical ward. The medical team will provide patients with various medical services such as triage, surgery, medical testing, and medication distribution.
Many Lebanese are angry with their leaders about the catastrophe, accusing the government of negligence, mismanagement, and corruption. Following weekend protests, 4 Lebanese ministers resigned within 48 hours of one another. This evening, with more than one-third of his cabinet stepping down, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced his resignation as prime minister.
“This disaster is the result of chronic corruption,” he claimed, adding that he “found out that corruption is greater than the state.”