By Youssef Aouli | Health Project Manager
Organizational and Institutional Overview
Alzahraa Medical Center (AMC) is a Primary Health Care Center located between Mankoubin and Jabal Mohsen in Tripoli, North Lebanon. AMC operates under the Alawite Islamic Charity Association (AICA), a Lebanese charitable, non-political, and non-profit organization established in 1950 under Decree No. 4500/1950.
AMC continues to serve as one of AICA’s core healthcare institutions, providing accessible and affordable primary healthcare services to vulnerable populations across North Lebanon. During April 2026, the center continued following up on its ongoing healthcare initiatives and active partnerships with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), the Ministry of Social Affairs (MoSA), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), YMCA, and the World Bank-supported healthcare program. No major new administrative decisions were reported during the month.
Founding and Institutional Growth
AMC was established in partnership with the Ministry of Public Health in 2008 as a community dispensary and was upgraded to a full Primary Health Care Center in 2016. Since then, it has developed into an important healthcare provider serving beneficiaries from Tripoli, Akkar, Koura, Zgharta, and surrounding areas.
The center works in coordination with MoPH, MoSA, MSF, YMCA, and other health and humanitarian stakeholders. AMC remains committed to providing healthcare services without discrimination based on nationality, religion, gender, social status, disability, or any other personal characteristic.
AMC provides general and specialized medical consultations, vaccination services, chronic disease management, mental health follow-up, pharmacy and medication support, laboratory-service facilitation, health education, referral guidance, and mobile primary healthcare outreach.
Current Services and Subsidized Access
Throughout April 2026, AMC continued providing essential healthcare services at subsidized rates to reduce financial barriers for vulnerable patients. General medical consultations were provided at a fee of LBP 600,000, while specialized consultations were provided at a fee of LBP 900,000.
Vaccinations and essential medications continued to be provided free of charge whenever available or covered through existing partnerships. Patients receiving chronic medication services were able to renew their medications for a symbolic fee of LBP 50,000.
Through the MSF-supported mechanism, consultations for Syrian displaced individuals remained fully covered. Eligible Lebanese patients also received partial financial assistance, with MSF covering LBP 350,000 of the applicable consultation fee.
These measures helped reduce out-of-pocket healthcare costs and supported continued access to essential services for vulnerable Lebanese and displaced populations.
MSF Partnership: Supporting Chronic Diseases and Mental Health
AMC’s partnership with Médecins Sans Frontières remained central to healthcare delivery during April 2026. Through this collaboration, patients living with non-communicable diseases and mental health conditions continued to receive medication renewals, clinical follow-up, and related healthcare support.
Patients were able to renew their chronic medications for LBP 50,000. MSF continued to cover the full cost of consultations for Syrian displaced individuals, while eligible Lebanese patients received partial financial support through a subsidy of LBP 350,000 per consultation.
AMC also continued coordinating with MSF to help secure essential medications when Ministry-supported stocks were insufficient. The center’s internal pharmacy facilitated the timely dispensing of prescribed medications and provided patients with clear instructions regarding dosage and appropriate use.
However, the suspension of the MSF-supported social worker position and the reduction or discontinuation of several external partner services continued to affect referral pathways. AMC therefore prioritized internal guidance, direct service provision where possible, and follow-up with available partners to identify alternative referral options.
YMCA and Laboratory Access
In response to the continued demand for laboratory testing among chronic disease patients, AMC maintained its coordination with YMCA and MoPH.
Registration through the YMCA-supported program remained a prerequisite for accessing subsidized laboratory services. AMC continued processing beneficiary applications and supporting patients throughout the registration and follow-up process to facilitate access to laboratory testing and chronic medications.
Where medications were unavailable through Ministry-supported channels, AMC continued coordinating with MSF and other available partners to help patients access essential treatment.
World Bank, MoPH, and MoSA Health Support Program
The World Bank-supported healthcare initiative targeting low-income families registered with the Ministry of Social Affairs remained active during April 2026.
AMC continued following up on the implementation of the program and coordinating with the relevant governmental and healthcare partners. No updated enrollment figures were included in the April reporting data. Accordingly, the previously reported number of registered individuals and families should not be presented as an April achievement unless reconfirmed through the official program database.
Mobile Primary Healthcare Unit
AMC’s Mobile Primary Healthcare Unit continued delivering outreach services to displaced populations and other vulnerable individuals residing in shelters and underserved areas of Jabal Mohsen.
The multidisciplinary mobile team, composed of a public health physician, nurses, and a licensed midwife, conducted routine outreach visits and provided free medical consultations, essential medications, basic medical follow-up, health guidance, referral support where required and available, and identification of urgent healthcare needs.
The team also supported the identification and follow-up of newly displaced individuals. In addition, two dedicated service days per week were maintained in Jabal Mohsen Public Garden to improve access for people who were unable to visit the center.
Emergency Response for Displaced Families from South Lebanon
During April 2026, continued displacement movements from South Lebanon affected public schools in the Jabal Mohsen area. In response, AMC deployed its mobile medical team and conducted six field visits to three public schools hosting displaced families.
The schools visited were Baal Muhsen Mixed Public Kindergartens, identified by school code 31111_023; Ibn Rushd Public School for Girls, identified by school code 31151_001; and Baal Mohsen Mixed Public School, identified by school code 31111_001.
Through these visits, AMC provided free medical consultations and basic healthcare support to 355 displaced individuals. The supported population included 179 males and 176 females, among whom were 26 children and 28 older persons.
No medical referrals were required during the reporting period because the identified needs were managed through on-site consultations, health guidance, available medication support, and follow-up advice.
The intervention also strengthened coordination with school focal points and improved the accuracy of caseload verification for displaced families hosted in collective school settings.
Service Delivery Performance During April 2026
During April 2026, AMC delivered a total of 4,659 healthcare services. This represented 77.65 percent of the overall target of 6,000 services.
Female beneficiaries accounted for 2,685 of the recorded service users with duplication. This represented 89.5 percent of the target of 3,000 female beneficiaries. Male beneficiaries accounted for 1,974 service users with duplication, representing 65.8 percent of the target of 3,000 male beneficiaries.
The services provided included general and specialized consultations, nursing care, vaccination, pharmacy support, laboratory services, chronic disease management, psychiatric treatment, and other clinical services.
AMC also continued supporting individuals requiring chronic medications. During April 2026, 897 individuals benefited from chronic medication services. This represented 88.02 percent of the target of 1,019 individuals.
In addition, 355 displaced individuals from South Lebanon received emergency medical consultations and basic healthcare services through six field visits to three schools in Jabal Mohsen. As this intervention was implemented according to emerging needs, no fixed numerical target had been established in advance.
These results demonstrate continued demand for AMC’s fixed-center services, chronic disease management, medication support, mobile outreach, and emergency healthcare response.
Accountability to Affected Populations
AMC continued implementing several feedback and accountability mechanisms to collect beneficiary opinions, identify service gaps, and improve the quality of healthcare delivery.
No formal complaints were received through the complaints box during April 2026. AMC continued ensuring that the complaints box remained visible, accessible, regularly checked, and properly documented.
No complaints, urgent concerns, or feedback were received through the hotline during the reporting period. The hotline remained available to beneficiaries, and any feedback received in future reporting periods will be documented and followed up appropriately.
Twenty-two individual beneficiary interviews were conducted during the month. The main concerns identified through these interviews included the limited availability of certain medications, interruptions in electricity supply, and the high cost of consultations.
In response, AMC continued coordinating with MSF to replenish unavailable medications, used the installed solar energy system to mitigate electricity interruptions, and reviewed the pricing structure of specialized services and the available subsidy mechanisms.
An additional eight beneficiaries participated in satisfaction interviews. No specific complaints or major concerns were reported through these interviews. AMC will continue conducting routine feedback collection and following up on any concerns raised by beneficiaries.
Main Challenges and Responses
During April 2026, AMC continued facing operational and service-delivery challenges resulting from economic hardship, increased healthcare demand, reduced partner services, and displacement-related pressures.
The cost of consultations, laboratory tests, and treatment remained a major barrier for vulnerable patients. AMC responded by continuing its subsidized consultation model, providing free medications and vaccinations whenever available, and coordinating with partners to reduce patients’ out-of-pocket expenses.
Demand for healthcare services among Syrian displaced individuals remained high. MSF continued covering the full cost of consultations for Syrian displaced patients, helping them maintain access to essential medical consultations and follow-up services.
Vulnerable Lebanese patients also continued facing financial barriers when accessing healthcare. AMC maintained the partial MSF subsidy for eligible Lebanese patients, with MSF covering LBP 350,000 of the applicable consultation cost.
The growing need for chronic disease treatment and mental health follow-up continued to place pressure on the available healthcare resources. AMC maintained its collaboration with MSF to provide chronic medication renewal at LBP 50,000 and continued follow-up for mental health and non-communicable disease cases.
Access to laboratory services remained limited for some chronic disease patients. AMC continued linking access to laboratory testing with registration under the YMCA-supported program to facilitate organized and subsidized testing.
Referral pathways remained limited due to the suspension or reduction of several partner-supported services. AMC prioritized internal guidance, provided direct support whenever possible, and continued coordinating with available organizations to identify alternative referral options.
Continued displacement movements increased demand for free consultations, medications, and outreach support. AMC strengthened its mobile primary healthcare activities and school-based visits to identify needs and deliver services directly to displaced populations.
Populations residing in shelters and underserved locations continued facing transportation and healthcare-access barriers. AMC responded by deploying its mobile medical teams to provide free consultations, medications, health guidance, and referral support within schools, shelters, public spaces, and Jabal Mohsen Public Garden.
The increased emergency-response workload placed additional pressure on AMC and Mobile Primary Healthcare Unit personnel. AMC prioritized urgent cases, distributed responsibilities among available staff, maintained essential fixed-center and mobile services, and continued monitoring workload pressures.
Weak internet connectivity occasionally affected coordination, data entry, and the timely sharing of information. AMC relied on phone-based communication and offline data-collection methods, followed by data entry and verification once connectivity was restored.
Obtaining complete and updated information on displaced individuals hosted in schools also remained challenging. AMC coordinated directly with school focal points and verified beneficiary information during field visits to improve the accuracy of caseload information and service planning.
The increased volume of activities also highlighted the need for consistent reconciliation between service registers, monitoring tools, and monthly statistics. AMC cross-checked the narrative figures, monitoring data, and service statistics before finalizing the report and will continue carrying out monthly verification before submission.
Success Story: Timely Mobile Medical Outreach for Displaced Families
One of AMC’s most significant achievements during April 2026 was the rapid adaptation of its mobile outreach schedule to respond to displaced families from South Lebanon who were being hosted in public schools in Jabal Mohsen.
Through six field visits to three schools, AMC provided free medical consultations and basic healthcare support to 355 displaced individuals, including 179 males and 176 females. The supported caseload included 26 children and 28 older persons.
Delivering healthcare services directly inside the schools reduced transportation, cost, and access barriers for vulnerable families. No medical referrals were required because the identified health needs were addressed through on-site consultations, health guidance, medication support where available, and follow-up advice.
The intervention demonstrated AMC’s ability to rapidly adjust its healthcare services during population movements while maintaining routine primary healthcare delivery. It also strengthened coordination with school focal points, improved the verification of needs in collective settings, and reinforced the importance of mobile primary healthcare as a flexible emergency-response mechanism.
Outlook for May 2026
During May 2026, AMC will continue strengthening primary healthcare delivery through its fixed-center services and mobile outreach activities.
The center will maintain subsidized general and specialized consultations, continue MSF-supported consultations and chronic disease services, and facilitate access to laboratory testing through YMCA registration.
AMC will also continue providing pharmacy and medication support, maintaining routine outreach visits to shelters and public areas, and following up on the healthcare needs of displaced families hosted in schools.
Additional priorities will include improving the verification and reconciliation of monthly service data, reviewing the affordability of specialized consultations, strengthening alternative referral pathways, and maintaining coordination with MoPH, MoSA, MSF, YMCA, the World Bank-supported healthcare program, school focal points, and other health-sector partners.
By Youssef Aouli | Health Project Manager
By Youssef Aouli | Health Project Manager
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