In French speaking Lebanon, the Ministry of Public Health is working to conclude a bilateral convention with France that will improve hospital standards in terms of hospital management, health-care costs and doctor training.
The Clinique du Levant in Sin al-Fil will work towards receiving hospital accreditation from HAS (Haute Autorité de Santé), the national French healthcare accreditation agency. Clinique du Levant is one of the first international hospitals committing to work toward obtaining accreditation according to standards in place in French hospitals. HAS says, “They have committed to taking steps to reach quality and safety in terms of health care and management. But the hospital needs to work hard to succeed to meet our strict standards” Antoine Maalouf of Clinique du Levant is confident the hospital will be able to claim the accreditation in the next few months, “We only have a few changes to make to get the accreditation, in the field of safety and quality of health care, and in the relationship between the medical staff and patients. We want to follow the standards in place in French hospitals.” Other Lebanese hospitals are also committed to working toward French accreditation.
A cooperation and exchange agreement in all medical and scientific fields has been signed between Foch Hospital in Paris, one of France’s leading hospitals and Clinique du Levant The partnership agreement is aimed at increasing the level of exchange between both establishments, providing patients with the services of the most qualified specialists and investing in telemedicine, allowing practitioners from both hospitals to gain hands-on experience. The goal is to transform Lebanon into a hub for health tourism in the region.
The Haute Autorité de santé (HAS) – or French National Authority for Health – was set up by the French government in August 2004 in order to bring together under a single roof a number of activities designed to improve the quality of patient care and to guarantee equity within the healthcare system. HAS activities range from assessment of drugs, medical devices, and procedures to publication of guidelines to accreditation of healthcare organisations and certification of doctors. All are based on rigorously acquired scientific expertise.
HAS is not a government body. It is an independent public body with financial autonomy. It is mandated by law to carry out specific missions on which it reports to government. It liaises closely with government health agencies, national health insurance funds, research organisms, unions of healthcare professionals, and patients’ representatives. Accreditation is compulsory for all public and private health care organizations in France. HAS also accredits hospitals in French territories overseas and one in Vietnam-as it used to be a French colony.
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