News

The Lebanese Association of the Knights of Malta (LAKM) / Order of Malta Lebanon is releasing a Call for Expression of Interest (EOI) for the following:

– Service Provider – Agriculture Advisory & Development 

The Order of Malta Lebanon has been operating in the health and social welfare sectors since 1957. It manages a network of 30 projects serving the most vulnerable populations, across the Lebanese territory including primary healthcare centers, mobile medical units, elderly day care centers, hosting centers for the differently-abled and projects for the displaced and refugees.

The Order of Malta Lebanon, with the support of its partner Malteser International (MI), has developed a comprehensive multi-annual program to strengthen its social and health services as well as its structures.

In this framework, the Lebanese Association of the Knights of Malta / Order of Malta Lebanon is looking for a qualified service provider – agriculture advisory & development .

If interested to apply, please click on the red title above in order to access the Terms of Reference.

A protocol has been signed on the 16th of April, 2021 between the Order of Malta Lebanon, the Saint-Michel Hospital Foundation and Notre-Dame Maritime Hospital for the establishment of an unprecedented unit in the fight against the Covid-19.

Nestled in a natural and peaceful setting, in the town of Amchit, the Saint-Michel hospital of 160 years, is getting a new lease on life. This institution, the first hospital in Mount Lebanon founded in 1857, had been established to accommodate the vulnerable and neglected populations of the region, without distinction of religion, race or nationality, and without any financial contribution in return.

Today, in the midst of a health slump due to the Covid-19 pandemic which has shaken the world, and while the entire healthcare system is weakened, the Saint-Michel Hospital Foundation, the Lebanese Association of the Knights of Malta (Order of Malta Lebanon) and Notre-Dame Maritime Hospital in Jbeil have forged a partnership, making it possible to fight together the war against the coronavirus. According to the memorandum of understanding signed between the three institutions, the Foundation will provide the fully re-equipped hospital, as well as cover the costs of operations and administrative management. The Order of Malta Lebanon will share its know-how through the medical management of the project and the supply of respiratory assistance devices and hospital use medicines, thanks to the support of the Île-de-France Region. As for the Notre-Dame Maritime Hospital, it will offer its support through its human resources and expertise.

Relieve hospitals

This project, part of the local hospital ecosystem, aims at relieving hospitals and allowing them to focus on severe cases. It also offers a holistic approach to the treatment of Covid-19, with PCR tests to limit the spread of the virus, a hotline to guide patients and offer those who need it with medical follow-up at home (with medical equipment made available to them), hospitalization of intermediate cases, rehabilitation of patients with sequelae and, finally, vaccination, all these services free of charge.

The process is clearly defined, from the patient triage room at the entrance, where the patient’s condition is assessed for selection according to strict criteria to minimize the risk, to hospitalization in rooms equipped with a negative pressure system to avoid contamination, a surveillance camera and an individual bathroom.

The building, divided into two parts for better insulation, will house 10 rooms and 15 beds, with a fully vaccinated nursing staff to take care of patients made of nurses and orderlies present 24 hours a day, as well as a medical staff made of family doctors, a pulmonologist and a specialist in infectious diseases ensuring a daily presence and follow-up.

An emergency room is also provided in case a patient’s condition worsens. He would then be immediately transferred by the Lebanese Red Cross to Notre-Dame Maritime hospital located in Jbeil, a few minutes from Amchit.

Representatives of the partner institutions in front of the entrance to Saint-Michel Hospital. Photo Michel Sayegh.

An initiative with the man and his dignity at its heart

During the signing of the protocol in the presence of the head of the municipality of Amchit as well as representatives of the three partner institutions, Marcel Zakhia, manager of the Foundation, declared that “this social and humanitarian initiative is in line with the mission that the Saint-Michel Hospital Foundation has set for itself to serve the population of Amchit and, more broadly, of Mount Lebanon, for more than a century and a half”. Dr. Joseph Chami, director of Notre-Dame Maritime Hospital, for his part underlined “the common values which unite the partner institutions, each in its specific mission”.

Finally, the President of the Order of Malta Lebanon, Marwan Sehnaoui, emphasized the vocation that unites the said institutions “around man and his dignity”. He thanked all the people who participated in the implementation of this project, the activity of which began yesterday, and in particular Prof. Amine Haddad, medical director of the Order of Malta Lebanon, and the management team of the Saint-Michel hospital Foundation, for their tireless efforts, hoping that through this innovative initiative, “we can prove by action that Lebanon is more than a country, it’s a message, a nurturing ground for mutual aid and coexistence. Men today have lost hope. It is up to us, through our action, to give them a new source of hope”.

“Tell Us…How You Really Feel?”

BEIRUT, April 14, 2021 – Against the backdrop of the crisis-ridden situation in Lebanon and its detrimental effects on the various societal strata, the Order of Malta Lebanon has launched the “Tell Us.. How You Really Feel?” mental health campaign in collaboration with Saint Joseph University of Beirut (USJ). Doctors and psychiatrists from both the Order and USJ are taking part in this initiative, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and supported by Malteser International (MI).

The campaign aims to deconstruct social stigma associated with psychiatric and mental illnesses and related stereotypes. It also aims to raise community awareness on the importance of seeking professional mental health support when necessary, as well as turning to the family doctor, the Order’s community health centers, family and close friends to share our anxieties as means for emotional relief and to alleviate the weight of our worries and fears. This is especially true given the impact of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) generated by the spiraling crises that are currently plaguing Lebanon. Levels of stress and anxiety are on the rise caused by the successive adversities hitting Lebanon, particularly in the aftermath of the Beirut Port explosion and the sharp economic downturn, not to mention the implications of the lockdown and quarantine to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The campaign sheds the light on the role of psychologists and psychiatrists as well as the importance of consulting a physician before resorting to self-medicating with antidepressants and sedatives. Adopting a proximity approach, the Order of Malta Lebanon went to the streets and asked individuals of different socioeconomic and age groups about the state of their mental wellbeing, in light of the deteriorating economic, health and living conditions. These testimonies were later transferred to mental health experts at USJ, and as a result, six conditions were identified, representing the main disorders that the Lebanese complained about, which became the campaign themes.

The themes are: depression, anxiety, insomnia, negative coping mechanisms, as well as various behavioral and emotional disorders in children and adolescents (hyperactivity, strained child/parent interactions, lack of concentration, lack of communication with others as a result of remote learning and prolonged use of technological devices, and disrupted daily routines).

The campaign’s objectives are showcased in six one minute awareness films that voice people’s concerns and provide guidance and education on each of the abovementioned subjects, their causes and how to address them. These topic are followed by in-depth discussions during a television morning program where mental health experts and doctors will offer advice and tips on how to manage symptom-related challenges.

The campaign goes beyond awareness-raising. It also offers referrals to the Order of Malta Lebanon community health centers, which are part of the National Primary Healthcare Program, or to any of their partners’ centers. The Order is continuously scaling up its services to embrace mental health thanks to the help of trained professionals. Patients will be able to turn to nurses, social workers or general practitioners who are on hand to determine symptoms and provide diagnosis. And if necessary, patients will be referred to specialists.

“People have always been at the core of our efforts which seek to improve their livelihoods and maintain their wellbeing. The Order has dedicated itself to mitigating the suffering of all groups and catering to their evolving needs, including mental health. Our partnership with USJ is crucial today in forging a culture of collaboration and knowledge-sharing in the face of the unprecedented challenges,” said Oumayma Farah, PR & Communications Director at the Order of Malta Lebanon.

“Mental health is part of a series of new services launched by the Order in its centers to round out its health, social and humanitarian provisions, especially in the context of the severe socioeconomic and healthcare pressures currently experienced in Lebanon. Hospitals are buckling under the daily strain exerted on their medical and nursing staff, amid an unprecedented wave of emigration of medical professionals, rising numbers of COVID-19 cases, and the lifting of subsidies on some medications while others have become unavailable. As for the food sector, steadily increasing prices have threatened the population’s food security, compounded by the soaring levels of poverty, unemployment and other hardships, all of which have exacerbated the mental strain and distress of the national and resident populations,” she noted, adding that “the campaign aspires to enable and encourage individuals to speak up and seek mental health support through our nine centers and their qualified medical teams, or to refer them to our partners’.”

USJ’s Head of Psychiatry Department, Prof. Sami Richa, lauded “the knowledge-based partnership that links us as an active academic institution with the Order of Malta Lebanon. This close collaboration constitutes a cornerstone for intersectional efforts that cut across humanitarian, health and social fieldwork on one hand and the specialized medical field on another, towards educating the public on psychiatric and mental health as an integral part of physical health.”

He observed that the campaign aimed at society as a whole “is a clear reflection of Saint Joseph University’s social commitment manifested in investing its medical expertise and resources to supporting and tending to the concerns of the Lebanese society suffering today from many psychological pressures owing to the crises Lebanon is going through.”

The President of the Lebanese Association of the Knights of Malta, Mr. Marwan Sehnaoui, and the Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of the Sovereign Order of Malta to Lebanon, Mr. François Abi Saab, paid a courtesy visit to Her Excellency Mrs. Anne Grillo, Ambassador of France to Lebanon, who received them in the presence of the Embassy’s Political Advisor, Mr. Sébastien Lesaulnier.

During this interview, they reviewed the situation in Lebanon facing the multiple health, social, economic and financial crises.

Their discussions then focused on the future of the country, both on a humanitarian and social level, as well as on the field action undertaken by the Order of Malta, in particular its new agro-humanitarian project which specifically grabbed the attention of the ambassador.

President Sehnaoui and Mr. Abi Saab warmly thanked France for the support it brings to the mission of the Order of Malta in Lebanon, through its community health centers, mobile medical units, day centers for the elderly and its action in favor of disability, with the hope that this collaboration will continue to meet the needs of a population in complete disarray and to build together a better tomorrow.

Striving to contribute to Lebanon’s community health by supporting small scale farmers to maintain production and improve their resilience, we launched the next phase of our agro-humanitarian project “Healthy We Grow”, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) with the support of Malteser International. The project aims to provide vulnerable farmers with natural, human, and physical assets (seeds, seedlings, irrigation systems, organic matter, and training) to pursue their farming activities. Access of small farmers to basic agriculture assets became extremely difficult due to the multi-dimensional crises that hit Lebanon since Oct 2019. The overall objective of the project is to increase food availability and accessibility by strengthening domestic production and creating jobs in the agriculture sector.

The project’s field implementation is lead in partnership with Fondation Saradar. The team will conduct outreach activities to selected 900 vulnerable farmers living in underprivileged communities in the catchment areas of our Community Health Centers – Barqa (Ras Baalbek), Khaldiye (Zgharta), Kobayat (Akkar, Denniyeh), Kefraya (Western Bekaa) and Yaroun (Southern border).

The selection criteria are based on the economic, health, food and nutrition vulnerabilities for each farmer’s household. The 900 farmers will benefit from around 3.2 million seedlings, irrigation systems, and organic matter to achieve a good production. Farmers will be supported to plant foods with high nutritive value and demand at the market level which include tomato, pepper, cucumber, cabbage, cauliflower, as well as, broccoli, potatoes and beans. All farmers will receive tailored technical assistance in the form of field visits. Moreover, the project empowers every enrolled farmer and producer by enabling them to play an active role in their community beyond the mere agriculture and production part. In this vein, each beneficiary donates 5% of their agricultural production to be distributed among the underprivileged individuals who benefit from the health services provided by our centers.

Food prices increased by more than 150% in 2020 in Lebanon and expenditure on food reached more than 85% of total household expenditures for the most vulnerable. With the ongoing financial and political crises and the potential removal of subsidies on basic food items, strengthening food security by improving food availability is a context-based solution to increase communities’ resilience and prevent a food crisis. Food utilization and availability are two of the pillars upon which healthy communities are built, this project will complement the tireless efforts of our health centers.

Six months after the Beirut port explosion on the 4th of August, the Order of Malta Lebanon, driven by its mission to serve the people in need and preserve their dignity, has decided to pursue its relief action at the heart of Beirut by partnering with Stand for Women in support of their “Marion Fund” initiative which has the aim to help more than 200 women-owned small to medium enterprises (SMEs) affected by the blast.

The main aim of this fund which was created in memory of Marion Hochar Ibrahimchah, an innocent victim of the Beirut blast, is to primarily assist the most vulnerable women who are often the main family provider and who were already struggling from the multiple crises even before the explosion, to help them rebuild their businesses in sectors such as groceries, pastry shops, hospitality services, retail shops, designers, hairdressers, doctors, pharmacies and others that are located in the areas ranging from Ashrafieh, Rmeil, Gemmayze, Mar Mikhael, Karantina, Beirut district and Borj Hammoud.

Apart from the help to rebuild and equip their SMEs, women will get coaching, mentoring and training to develop and grow their businesses, in addition to psycho-social support when needed.

Thanks to its partners and donors who wholeheartedly responded to their plea right after the explosion, the Order of Malta Lebanon was able to extend its support to 19 women-led SMEs divided among the following 3 categories:

1. 9 very small businesses like grocery shops and tailors
2. 8 SMEs that maintain or create jobs and employ more than 5 people like coffee / pastries shops
3. 2 SMEs that preserve Beirut’s cultural heritage like designers and artists

Stand for Women is an NGO, established in Lebanon in 2017, advocating for women’s economic empowerment and gender equality across the Middle East and championing sisterhood.

The Lebanese Association of the Knights of Malta (LAKM) / Order of Malta Lebanon is releasing a Call for Expression of Interest (EOI) for the following:

– IT Network and Datacentre Infrastructure Vendors

The Order of Malta Lebanon has been operating in the health and social welfare sectors since 1957. It manages a network of 30 projects serving the most vulnerable populations, across the Lebanese territory including primary healthcare centers, mobile medical units, elderly day care centers, hosting centers for the differently-abled and projects for the displaced and refugees.

The Order of Malta Lebanon, with the support of its partner Malteser International (MI), has developed a comprehensive multi-annual program to strengthen its social and health services as well as its structures.

In this framework, the Lebanese Association of the Knights of Malta / Order of Malta Lebanon is looking for qualified IT network and datacentre infrastructure vendors.

If interested to apply, please click on the red title above in order to access the Terms of Reference.

The Lebanese Association of the Knights of Malta (LAKM) / Order of Malta Lebanon is releasing a Call for Expression of Interest (EOI) for the following:

– Agriculture products suppliers

The Order of Malta Lebanon has been operating in the health and social welfare sectors since 1957. It manages a network of 30 projects serving the most vulnerable populations, across the Lebanese territory including primary healthcare centers, mobile medical units, elderly day care centers, hosting centers for the differently-abled and projects for the displaced and refugees.

The Order of Malta Lebanon, with the support of its partner Malteser International (MI), has developed a comprehensive multi-annual program to strengthen its social and health services as well as its structures.

In this framework, the Lebanese Association of the Knights of Malta / Order of Malta Lebanon is looking for qualified agriculture products suppliers.

If interested to apply, please click on the red title above in order to access the Terms of Reference.

The Order of Malta endeavors to provide continuous learning and development to its personnel with the aim of constantly improving the quality of services provided to its patients. As mental health services are an integral part of patients’ health and wellbeing, the organization invested in building its frontliners and key personnel’s capabilities by holding a Mental Health GAP training to equip them with the tool to identify and refer patients suffering from mental disorders.

The training is provided by the department of psychiatry of the faculty of medicine – USJ and the Francophone Association of the Mentally Ill (AFMM), led and presented by Professor Sami Richa, with the support of his team. It will cover throughout 7 sessions key mental health disorders such as mood disorders, psychotic disorders, anxiety disorders, addictions, eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders and traumatic disorders, ethical matters related to mental health care and psychotherapy.

In the first session, Prof. Richa explained how to identify the symptoms of depression and bipolar disorders saying that “17% of the population will suffer from depression at some point in their life, and 50% of patients will relapse”. He also highlighted the importance of recognizing change in behavior and the relevance of seeking the support of a mental health specialist in such circumstances. Due to prevalent stigma and shame surrounding mental health disorders, most patients suffering from those disorders will experience serious symptoms for up to 6 months before being diagnosed”. It is imperative that patients experiencing symptoms that disrupt their ability to function in life, symptoms such as sadness, tiredness, decrease of concentration, strong agitation, impulse control issues amongst other, for a period exceeding 2 weeks, consult a mental health specialist and be treated”.

“90% of people who have committed suicide suffer from a mental disorder” added Prof. Richa. It is the second cause of death worldwide amongst the age group 15 to 35 years of age and there is an attempt to suicide every 40 seconds in the world. He shed the light on several misconceptions related to suicide explaining that it can target all age groups, that a person voicing out the plan for suicide will most probably actually plan it and try to execute it; finally emphasizing on the importance of prevention and intervention.

The second session was held today as a webinar due to the Covid-19 lockdown and tackled psychotic disorders such as psychosis, schizophrenia, and delusional disorders.

In the course of the coming sessions, the remaining mental disorders will be gradually tackled, to equip our personnel with the means to intervene and support efficiently patients in need.

This training is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in partnership with Malteser International.