Suzanne is 34 and lives in one of the Beirut neighborhoods worst affected by the August 2020 explosion. Amid rising poverty in Lebanon, however, she’s one of many who cannot afford medical care—including checkups during her pregnancy.
Repairing damaged buildings has been a key part of IOCC’s response to the tragic explosion: IOCC rehabbed homes, small businesses, clinics, and more. In Suzanne’s neighborhood of Karantina, IOCC repaired a healthcare center that offers primary care at little to no cost, vital amid ongoing economic crisis.
The repaired Karantina clinic has reopened, and IOCC is now working with UNICEF to subsidize basic services there (and at two other clinics affected by the explosion). From the time she learned about the program at four months along, Suzanne received monthly consultations with a gynecologist throughout her pregnancy, plus all the ultrasounds she needed. Now, after her safe delivery, Suzanne is also seeing IOCC’s lactation specialist and brings her baby to the clinic’s pediatrician. She has received all these medical services free of charge.
“I was worried,” Suzanne said, “and didn’t know where to go or how to seek care in this catastrophic situation … I couldn’t have afforded the overpriced cost of formula in this economic collapse. Breastfeeding is free and natural, and I can do it easily with the support and education that I am receiving.”
This program is helping local residents get the medical care they need. For Suzanne, IOCC’s work at the Karantina clinic has meant a healthy start for her child, and a chance to protect her own health, as well.
