Dollar surge causes medicine and baby milk shortages at pharmacies
The head of the Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon, Joe Salloum, warned Wednesday that the dramatic surge in the dollar exchange rate on the black market has led to “a near-complete halt of the delivery of medicines and baby milk to pharmacies.”
Pharmacies are “gradually running out” of medicines and baby milk, Salloum cautioned.
“As the head of the Order of Pharmacists of Lebanon, who is entrusted with the pharmaceutical sector and citizens’ health, I urge politicians in the country and the international community to rescue the patients and the health sector which is breathing its last breaths,” Salloum added.
“Rescue starts with the election of a president for the republic to ensure the least level of financial and economic stability,” Salloum went on to say, warning that there could be “an inevitable collapse and a forced suspension of the entire pharmaceutical sector within days.”
The black market dollar exchange rate has witnessed a dramatic surge over the past few days, reaching the record level of LBP 46,400 at around 4:30 pm Wednesday.
23 December 2022, 23:33
00
"Caedite eos. Novit enim Dominus qui sunt eius." is a phrase reportedly spoken by the commander of the Albigensian Crusade, prior to the massacre at Béziers on 22 July 1209. A direct translation of the Medieval Latin phrase is "Kill them. The Lord knows those that are his own". Papal legate and Cistercian abbot Arnaud Amalric was the military commander of the Crusade in its initial phase and leader of this first major military action of the Crusade, the assault on Béziers, and was reported by Caesarius of Heisterbach to have uttered the order.
