Under the patronage and presence of the Minister of Public Health, Dr. Hamad Hassan, the Lebanese University launched the "Lebanese University Task Force", in a ceremony held on 8 June 2020 at the Rafik Hariri University Campus - Hadath, Conference Hall.
The launching ceremony was attended by the Minister of Industry, Dr. Imad Hoballah, President of the Lebanese Red Cross, Dr. Antoine Al Zoghbi, Secretary-General of the Lebanese Red Cross, Mr. George Kettaneh, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for Defense, Major General Mahmoud Al-Asmar, Director of the Rafik Hariri University Hospital, Dr. Firas Al Abyad, and the President of the Lebanese University, Professor Fouad Ayoub, in addition to a number of deans, directors, professors and a group of students.
The event, which observed the conditions for social distancing between the attendees and was presented by Dr. Roula Atoui from the Faculty of Medical Sciences, started with a presentation given by Dr. Hassan Salameh and Dr. Ghassan Al Awar (from the Faculty of Medical Sciences) explaining the tasks and structure of the "Task Force".
Dr. Salameh and Dr. Al Awar pointed out that the "Task Force" will be formed of trained volunteers capable of moving on all Lebanese territories in the event of any emergency, in coordination with the relevant local and foreign authorities. They explained the goals and structure of the "Task Force" that will be chaired by the President of the Lebanese University, Professor Fouad Ayoub, and will consist of a central committee, a group of specialists from all faculties, an international review committee, a rapid intervention team, a group operating in the provinces for geographical coverage, and two internal and external affairs committees.
In his speech, President Ayoub reinforced the principle by which the university is in the service of the country through field and research work and continues to cooperate with the government and relevant ministries to face the epidemic and its repercussions. He added that the students and professors presented a responsible model in direct and indirect COVID-19 confrontation. A number of individual and collective voluntary initiatives, including the “Corona Unit” which was formed from the Faculty of Medical Sciences, started its volunteer work at the Rafik Hariri University Hospital and was joined later by the medical and nursing teams from the Faculties of Medical Sciences, Public Health and Pharmacy, and were equipped to receive and accompany COVID-19 patients until the recovery phase.
President Ayoub added: “With initiatives supported by the Lebanese University and industry entities, a group of students and professors of the Faculties of Science and Engineering volunteered to design medical artificial respiratory devices and a robot to help patients and protect medical teams, which a number thereof were delivered to Rafik Hariri University Hospital in Beirut and President Elias Hrawi Public Hospital. In cooperation with the Ministry of Health and the concerned authorities and through volunteers of the Faculty of Public Health and the University Medical Center, the Lebanese University participated in conducting PCR tests for expatriates at the Rafik Hariri International Airport and land crossings with Syria. Volunteers from the medical faculties also participated in awareness campaigns and direct guidance through social media, and volunteers from the Faculty of Letters & and Human Sciences - Department of Psychology developed a plan to provide psychological support for patients or their families”.
President Ayoub continued: "With the beginning of the commitment to public mobilization procedures, our students and teachers made additional efforts to complete the process of e-learning by developing “NOTER” application, despite the weak Internet coverage on all Lebanese territories. The Lebanese University also registered with a number of partners, LU-COVID19 application that contributes to fighting COVID-19 transmission and reducing its spread, and which was adopted by the Ministry of Health in partnership with the World Health Organization”.
President Ayoub thanked the Ministry of Health for providing the Lebanese University with 100,000 masks and 250 temperature measuring devices.
Minister Hoballah assured that the Ministry will support the Lebanese University with the available capabilities, praising what the university has provided since the beginning of the crisis through direct field work and student initiatives complemented with research work. He also stressed the importance of cooperating between public and private sectors, creating an investment market and strengthening the health sector to cover all society categories.
Minister Hassan thanked President Ayoub for the encouragement, motivation, and support given to student initiatives, and praised the work and sacrifices made by the Lebanese University facing coronavirus, despite the absence of material and moral support. He stressed the importance of the classification given by WHO for Lebanon as one of the very low risk of COVID-19 spread. Minister Hassan affirmed that we entered a new phase that needs an executive body, which the Lebanese University is able to achieve, given the number of students, and the diversity of specializations and branches covering all Lebanon.
Minister Hassan added: "After the meeting held with officers in public hospitals, we began with decentralization in the Ministry, and COVID-19 patients will be distributed among public hospitals in the regions, and followed up and monitored in hospitals or quarantine locations; thus, the importance of the Task Force formed by work teams from the Lebanese University.”
At the end, Minister Hassan pointed to the leading research role at the university, which is a follow-up subject between the Ministry, the Lebanese University and a number of other partners, including private universities.
