At first glance Lebanon’s health sector reveals a multitude of apparent contradictions and anomalies. Generally speaking, the health sector is a monumental achievement, and boasts some of the highest-caliber medical apparatus in the region in terms of both facilities and human resources. The sector constitutes a significant contribution to the economy, but, in the same breath, public health puts great strain on the country’s finances. The sector seems to be falling into the regional trap of creating high technology hospitals that are only accessible to a small minority of wealthy citizens. In a sector dominated by private care, the task of trying to expand the coverage and remain profitable is proving to be a challenge, if not impossible. The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) is a case in point, as its spending deficit continues to place a great burden on the sector. If underlying issues of institutional rot in the
