27 April 2010
BEIRUT: The director of Al-Fanar Psychiatric Hospital, Samar Labban, and Italian Ambassador Gabriele Checchia inaugurated over the weekend the Al-Fanar Psychiatric Hospital in the southern town of Zahrani.
The project is funded by the Italian Cooperation Office of the Italian embassy in Beirut in the framework of ROSS Emergency Program for an amount of 486,000 Euros ($647,563) and implemented by the Italian NGO CTM.
The initiative is co-funded by the Al-Fanar Hospital for a total amount of over $50,000.
The opening ceremony took place at the Al-Fanar Psychiatric Hospital under the patronage of Speaker Nabih Berri and in the presence of Public Health Minister Mohammad Khalifeh, Nabatieh Mayor Moustafa Badreddine, together with number of other mayors, representatives of Lebanese universities, local and international NGOs and various stakeholders involved in the sector.
This project aimed to restore the basic hygienic conditions and capacity of hospitalization of the Al-Fanar Psychiatric Hospital in Zahrani. The initiative provided the internal rehabilitation of the Hospital by rebuilding the sanitary services, building and equipping of new kitchen and new laundry and also installing a solar heating system and two new green houses.
In the framework of the project, a painting session has been organized, allowing the patients of the Al-Fanar Hospital to dedicate a full day to paint and draw.
“I am deeply glad to be here today for the inauguration of the rehabilitation of Al-Fanar Psychiatric Hospital, an institute of a great historical value” Checchia said. He added that “this initiative will provide high quality facilities in favor of the most marginalized and needy people.”
The ROSS Emergency Program is an initiative funded by the Italian government since 2006. The main objective of its third phase in Lebanon is to contribute toward rehabilitation and reinforcement of basic services aiming at upgrading the living socioeconomic conditions through a process of local development in general and emphasizing on promoting environment conservation and gender equality. – The Daily Star
Copyright The Daily Star 2010.
