By Youssef Aouli | Health Project Manager
About Alzahraa Medical Center
Alzahraa Medical Center (AMC), operated by the Alawite Islamic Charity Association (AICA), serves vulnerable communities in Tripoli and across North Lebanon. Established in partnership with Lebanon’s Ministry of Public Health in 2008 and upgraded to a primary healthcare center in 2016, AMC offers general and specialized consultations, nursing, vaccinations, pharmacy and laboratory services, and support for people living with chronic conditions. Its approach combines affordable center-based care with mobile primary healthcare support for people who face transportation, financial, or other access barriers.
Healthcare Delivered in June
During June 2026, AMC recorded 3,468 healthcare service contacts and visits, including 2,027 female and 1,441 male contacts. These figures count services and may include repeat visits by the same person; they do not represent 3,468 unique patients. Pharmacy services accounted for 931 contacts, general medicine for 899, and laboratory services for 525. The center also recorded 161 midwifery contacts, 147 nursing contacts, 115 orthopedics contacts, 95 dentistry contacts, 88 gynecology contacts, 75 endocrinology contacts, 71 cardiology contacts, and 69 ophthalmology contacts. This activity reflects sustained demand for everyday medical care, medicines, diagnostics, and specialized follow-up.
Making Care More Affordable
AMC continued providing subsidized consultations to reduce the financial burden on patients. The June narrative lists general consultations at LBP 600,000 and specialized consultations at LBP 900,000, with vaccines and medications provided free when available under applicable support arrangements. AMC’s pharmacy continued dispensing prescribed medicines and explaining their use. For eligible chronic-disease patients, laboratory access remained linked to registration and clinical eligibility through the YMCA and Ministry of Public Health pathways. A separate verified count of people receiving chronic medications in June was not available in the source report.
A Critical Transition in Healthcare Support
June marked the final month of the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)-supported package at AMC. Throughout the month, this partnership continued supporting eligible patients, including those requiring non-communicable disease and mental health follow-up. With the package concluding at month-end, AMC focused on informing affected patients, maintaining available services, and helping people identify alternative sources of care. Staff coordinated with the Ministry of Public Health, YMCA, and other available partners to support medication and laboratory access where eligibility and capacity allowed. These steps were intended to reduce the risk of interrupted treatment, although the availability of replacement support could not be guaranteed.
Reaching People Facing Access Barriers
Alongside its fixed-center services, AMC continued coordinating mobile and satellite primary healthcare support through its PSU approach in Jabal Mohsen. This outreach model is particularly important for vulnerable people who may be unable to travel to the center or afford the associated costs. The June source confirms the continuation of this approach but does not provide a separately verified mobile-outreach beneficiary total; no additional outreach reach figure is claimed here.
Challenges and Response
The cost of medical consultations, tests, treatment, and transportation continued to limit healthcare access for vulnerable households. Demand for chronic disease management and medication remained high, while medicine gaps, electricity interruptions, and reduced external referral options complicated service delivery. The end of MSF support added a significant continuity-of-care challenge. AMC responded by maintaining subsidized services, coordinating available medication and laboratory pathways, providing patients with guidance on alternative services, and using contingency energy support where possible. The team also continued reconciling service data to support reliable monthly reporting.
Progress and the Road Ahead
AMC verified 3,468 June service contacts against its monthly service indicator target of 6,000, equivalent to 57.8% of that target. The most important operational priority was maintaining healthcare access during the MSF close-out. During June, AMC also prepared staff workflows and Phenics processes for the Hashasha / Mini-LPSP support mechanism expected to begin in July 2026. This was a planned next step, not an activity reported as launched in June.
Why Continued Support Matters
For patients living with financial insecurity, a medical consultation, diagnostic test, or reliable supply of medication can determine whether treatment continues or is delayed. June’s experience shows both the value of AMC’s established primary healthcare services and the vulnerability created when partner-funded assistance ends. Continued donor engagement can help AMC sustain affordable, inclusive healthcare, strengthen continuity for chronic patients, and maintain practical access routes for underserved communities. AICA remains committed to coordinating responsibly with healthcare partners and reporting verified results without overstating unique patient reach or attributing partner-supported activities to a single funding source.
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