The Hospital

We spent part of this week getting acquainted with the American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC). It is a large, 420-bed teaching hospital and referral center. The department of internal medicine has approximately 12 residents per post-graduate year as well as two chief residents. At first glance, AUBMC is strikingly similar to Milstein (although distances do seem somewhat smaller and more manageable than at our home institution). English is the language of instruction and residents and faculty speak it fluently. The days, like ours, are divided between patient care and a busy conference schedule.

However, there are differences. The RN who greets us at the outpatient clinic wears a veil that matches her white nursing outfit. The medical students sport jeans beneath their short white coats. And, as seems to be the norm in Lebanon, female attire is extremely variable and ranges from tight leggings with knee-high boots, to demure hijabs paired with brightly colored nails as well as the more conservative burqas. (This last one is much less common, but still present in everyday life).

I am still trying to get a sense of the patient population at AUBMC. Dr. Shoucair, the director of outpatient services, explains that about a third of Lebanon has insurance via social security funds and that another 10-30% has private insurance. The remainder of the population falls under the care of the Ministry of Health, which only covers the cost of inpatient stays and medications for chronic diseases.

From what I gather, patients who come to the resident clinic are typically uninsured but have sufficient means to pay the 6-8 USD charged per visit. Patients, however, can run into trouble when it comes to paying for laboratory and other tests. If they cannot afford care here they typically go to government run hospitals, where costs are much lower although not entirely free. Next week we are hoping to head over to BGUH (Beirut Governmental University Hospital) with some of the residents rotating there.