Meeting with U.S. Ambassador
The representatives of the International Lebanese Medical Association (ILMA) met with Lisa Johnson, the U.S. Ambassador to Lebanon, at the U.S. Embassy in Beirut.
The meeting was attended by the president of ILMA International, Dr. Walid Al-Ahmar, the ILMA-USA president, Dr. Georgina Aoun Nouaime, and ILMA-USA representatives, Dr. Chadi Sarraf, Dr. François Abi Fadel, Dr. Lama Nazzal, and Dr. Gibran Khneisser, along with the president of ILMA in Lebanon, Dr. Georges Saadeh.
The purpose of the meeting was to review the association’s activities in the U.S. over the past years and to present the upcoming medical conference organized by ILMA in Lebanon, including its goals and focus on utilizing the capabilities and resources from the U.S. association to support education and the healthcare system in Lebanon.
Meeting with Prime Minister Najib Mikati
Representatives of the International Lebanese Medical Association (ILMA) from all its branches in the diaspora met with Prime Minister Najib Mikati at the Grand Serail, in the presence of the Minister of Health in the caretaker government, Dr. Firas Abiad.
The attendees discussed the association’s activities over the past years and how it has assisted Lebanon by sending medications and medical supplies and supporting the health sector during the Beirut port explosion and the COVID-19 pandemic.
The discussions focused on two main points. First, how to leverage the capabilities and human resources in the countries where the association is present to support and develop the Lebanese health system and exchange expertise through the conference held at the Phoenicia Hotel in Beirut on July 5 and 6. Mikati expressed his strong support for the recent conference at the Phoenicia Hotel and emphasized that the expatriate body is a fundamental factor for the country’s revival and strengthening. He promised to establish a communication bridge between Lebanese institutions concerned with the health system and the association spread worldwide.
Mikati stated that it is essential to create an atmosphere of trust among expatriates in their homeland so they feel that the state is transparent in dealing with and coordinating with the association and the institutions concerned in the health sector in general.