NAWRAJ - HEALTHCARE

Primary Healthcare

Baskinta Medical Center
The Baskinta Medical Center (BMC) is located at Mar Sassine Monastery compound in Baskinta. Once rehabilitated, the medical center is planned to be backed by a Red Cross center, in an adjacent building, within the Monastery property. BMC includes several clinics:
1 Pediatrics, 1 Cardiology, 1 Gynecology, 1 Ophthalmology, 1 ENT, 1 Dentistry, 1 ER; 1 Pharmacy, 1 Laboratory, 1 Digital Radiology & Echography, 1 CSSD. 6 Patient rooms, 2 Waiting areas, 3 Offices.

Goals & Objectives
The reactivation of the Baskinta Medical Center (BMC) is a necessity, as it is intended to:

Cater to 6 neighboring communities: nearest hospital being around 45 minutes away by car; bad driving conditions in winter (snow).
Provide specialized medical personnel, emergency and evacuation services.
Improve drastically medical services by serving more adequately local residents and 3,500 Syrian refugees (in Baskinta).
Ensure that this marginalized region at the heart of the Christian mainland be supported and with the minimum required medical services to maintain its population in their villages.

A New Impetus
On March 22, 2024, Notre Dame des Secours University Hospital and Baskinta Medical Center signed a cooperation agreement sponsored and supported by Nawraj. The agreement gives the primary care center a new impetus. Thanks to Nawraj's ongoing efforts, the university teaching hospital will manage the Center entirely, promoting and developing it into a day hospital.

Common Objectives

Secure the basic right of underserved populations to quality healthcare.
Reduce the cost of access to medical care for vulnerable families.
Provide accessible care, preventive medicine, and first aid to residents.
Offer services to a population that has long been deprived of this fundamental right.
Ensure the sustainability of the project.
Maintain the presence of these populations in their villages.

Ophthalmologic Days
On June 20th and 24th, a significant number of residents from Baskinta and neighboring villages received free eye consultations during two ophthalmologic days at the Baskinta Medical Center (BMC), managed by CHU Notre Dame des Secours and initiated by Nawraj. A total of 101 individuals benefited from this opportunity due to the collaboration between Mon Liban d’Azur and Rotary Club Marseille. This successful event highlights the impact of partnerships in providing essential healthcare services to local communities.

Baskinta is a mountainous village, with an altitude of 1,250 to 1,800 meters above sea level, 44 km east of Beirut and the access is through narrow roads. Baskinta is geographically privileged, as it stands at the crossroad of neighboring Christian villages, while lying at the foot of Mount Sannine, making Baskinta a critical location in the region.

Population
In Baskinta and its immediate the surroundings live around 10,000 persons in winter and more than 35,000 during summer.

Climate
Harsh mountainous conditions in winter, with snow covering the area, keeping this cluster of villages isolated from the coastal regions.

Economic Situation
Long neglected by the State, having suffered during the war, residents live in this part of the country on low-income activities, mainly based on agriculture, small food production and rural tourism (hiking).
Local inhabitants usually come from a poor rural background and cannot afford to travel to hospitals in Beirut for consultation and diagnosis.

Key Dates

1986: BMC was delivering medical consultations thanks to 9 Doctors specialized in: Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Gynecology, Pediatrics, Otorhinolaryngology, Geriatric, Orthopedics, Pneumonology, Dentistry.
1990: Opening of the laboratory.
2001: Nawraj intervention: Expansion (new ward) and rehabilitation of the 1st floor; increasing the number of consultation rooms; ensuring necessary medical equipment; renewing the roof top.
2022: The Lebanese Association of the Order of Malta is currently running the dispensary providing medical consultations and distributing medicine (provided by the YMCA).
2023: Official inauguration of the Center in presence of the Minister of Health, Dr. Firas Abiyad.

BMC Donors
Evangelische Landerskirche in Württemberg (Germany)
L’Œuvre d’Orient (France)
SNF France (France)
Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (France)
Chedraoui Fund (Baskinta, Lebanon)
Lebanese Private Donors

Healthcare Services

The Hôtel Dieu de France Mobile Clinic, in partnership with Nawraj, provided healthcare services to low-income families in Mejd El Meouch in May and Chartoun in October 2024. The mobile unit provided free consultations, tests for diabetes and blood pressure, as well as vaccines. This joint operation will be replicated in other regions. It is part of the agreement between the two institutions.

Within Hotel Dieu de France Family Medicine Center and as part of their “Service Spécial", Nawraj beneficiaries have access to the following health care services, thanks to an agreement with this University Hospital Center:

"Le Centre de médecine de famille” dedicated to “welcome, support, inform and guide patients and their families”.
“La Clinique sociale de l’enfant” committed to ensure “Equal Quality Medical Care for all Children in Lebanon”.