Lebanon hospitals risk shutdown amid restrictions on U.S. dollar

Lebanon's Syndicate of Private Hospitals has warned that many Lebanese hospitals risk shutting down because of a shortage of foreign currency to buy equipment and medicines.

Suleiman Haroun, head of the syndicate, said this during a sit-in protest staged by hospital representatives near Lebanon's central bank on Thursday.

He said hospitals were unable to secure U.S. dollar funds to buy necessary equipment and materials amid current restrictions on cash withdrawals by banks.

Haroun also said that hospitals have been unable to secure their workers' rights because of a shortage in liquidity.

He urged the Central Bank of Lebanon to release hospitals' funds in banks to save the health sector from an imminent collapse.

The ongoing financial crisis in Lebanon has forced the central bank to place heavy restrictions on U.S. dollar withdrawals, weighing heavily on both businesses and individuals.