IFCR to Monitor Vaccination Campaign in Lebanon
The Claim
Rafik Hariri University Hospital refused to give the COVID-19 vaccine to a 75-year-old man because he was not Lebanese.
News posted on
Emerging story
As Lebanon’s COVID-19 vaccination roll-out has begun, Rani Haddad tweeted that his Palestinian father was unable to receive the vaccine.
My father (76yo) was just rejected at @rhuhhospital @firassabiad becuz he's not Lebanese. Originally Palestinian, he spent his entire life working and living in Lebanon. Paying his taxes, & employing hundreds of Lebanese during his business heyday in realestate development. (1/2)
— Rani Haddad (@4484) February 20, 2021
Following Haddad’s tweet, Megaphone posted on their Instagram that Rafik Hariri University Hospital refused to give the COVID-19 vaccine to non-Lebanese.
Megaphone alleged, RHUH’s official Twitter account acknowledged the incident and said it was abiding by Lebanese law, without specifying which law or giving any other justification.
A Twitter account with the @rhuhhospital handle and RHUH’s logo with only 66 followers replied to Haddad’s tweet, then deleted the reply.
As it seems many people r doubting my thread as misleading or untrue, I will just attach the now deleted hospital reply verifying the story. I am hoping this was just a small error by some1 on the ground, & that age group is the primary & only reference for vaccinating. 💉 pic.twitter.com/N5ZLTYmw4q
— Rani Haddad (@4484) February 21, 2021
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s investigation discovered that the World Bank and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) signed an agreement for the independent monitoring of Lebanon’s COVID-19 vaccination campaign.
IFRC will also monitor storage, stock, and temperature maintenance across the supply chain, service delivery at vaccination sites, eligibility of vaccine recipients, and client feedback.
Besides, IFRC teams will monitor social media and analyze the data from the call center set up by the MoPH as part of the Grievance Redress Mechanism established under the project.
According to Al Jazeera, regardless of nationality or legal status, anyone living in Lebanon is supposed to be covered under its vaccination campaign, including refugees and migrant laborers.
Firass Abiad, head of Rafik Hariri University Hospital, tweeted that it is necessary to register and follow up to obtain an appointment on the vaccine platform.
1/4 Registration on the vaccine platform and the necessary follow up to obtain an appointment require a minimum of digital literacy, and a mobile number. Some do not own or know how to use a digital phone. A hotline can assist these individuals, but needs to be easily accessible.
— Firass Abiad (@firassabiad) February 22, 2021
Furthermore, Rani Haddad, the person who started the claim, tweeted his father was registered on the MoH website and was able to obtain an appointment.
Hours after his allegations, he tweeted it was not an official appointment via SMS, but a walk-in.
To be accurate. It was not an official appointment via SMS, but a walk-in. Regardless the reason given was related to nationality and not appointment.
— Rani Haddad (@4484) February 20, 2021
Nevertheless, the Twitter account that replied to Haddad’s tweet is not the hospital’s official account.
The logo, handle, and website are not related to Rafik Hariri University Hospital. Also, the account joined Twitter in February 2021, coinciding with the vaccination program in Lebanon.
The first batch of COVID-19 vaccines for Lebanon arrived in the country on February 13, 2021, as part of the World Bank-financed Lebanon Health Resilience Project (LHRP).
We made a quick comparison that shows the account with the @rhuhhospital handle, appears to be a fake account.
Rafik Hariri University's official website directed us to their official Twitter account.
In conclusion, the Lebanese Ministry of Health is not excluding people from the vaccination program based on their nationality.
#COVID19 threatens public health, it doesn't distinguish between people based on their nationality & ethnicity, as vaccination & healthcare are the right of every human. Hence, @mophleb is committed to providing the vaccine to all residents in Lebanon despite their nationalities. pic.twitter.com/mLJyhDAaLR
— Ministry of Public Health - Lebanon (@mophleb) February 21, 2021
Additional reporting by Malak Zamzam.
