Beirut blast hospital repair costs estimated at $71.5m

Beirut blast hospital repair costs estimated at $71.5m

The cost to restore essential functions in hospitals damaged by the Beirut blast on August 4 - excluding the cost of replacing medical equipment - is estimated at $71.5 million, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said in a recent report. 

A WHO-led assessment of hospitals reaveled that 500 hospital beds were lost as a result of the blast, after three hospitals were deemed non-functional and three hospitals are partially functional, out of a total of 16 hospitals in Beirut.

The central drugs warehouse of the National Primary Health Care Centre Network was also severely damaged, as well as 23 primary healthcare centres, four of which were completely destroyed.

WHO is playing an key role in coordinating the 11 international emergency medical teams (EMTs) that were deployed to support the response to the explosion.

More than 300,000