Hariri Social & Medical Center
Address
Rijal El Arbaeen, Historic District,
Saida, Lebanon
Phone
+961 7 735 141
smc@hariri-foundation.org
The Hariri Social & Medical Center (HFSMC) is a primary healthcare center registered with the Ministry of Public Health, providing high-quality, low-cost medical services to marginalized communities of all nationalities in Saida and its neighboring towns.
HFSMC is housed in the 17th-century Emir Fakhreddine Palace in Saida’s historic district. The palace was affected by the 1956 earthquake and further urban interventions and later destroyed during the Lebanese civil war. It was later restored by Hariri Foundation for Sustainable Human Development, who has since established and operated its primary healthcare center on site, upon agreement with the national Public Institute for Housing, owner of the site.
Established in 1992, the Hariri Social & Medical Center provides a wide range of services, including medical consultations with specialists in public health, pediatrics, gynecology, general surgery, urology, cardiology, otolaryngology, dermatology, diabetes, and endocrine. It also offers consultations with nutritionists, psychologists, as well as dental care services, such as dental checkups, cleaning, and filling.
HFSMC provides primary surgical and laboratory operations, such as minor surgeries, injections, changing bandages, vaccinations for infants and children. The center also provides laboratory tests, including dental X-rays, electrocardiograms, ultrasounds, and diabetes tests. HFSMC also features a pharmacy which provides medicines at affordable rates, some of which are provided by the Ministry of Public Health and other private partners.
Recently, HFSMC introduced its mental health services in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health and Premiere Urgence. The service includes assessments, counseling, information sharing, and awareness-raising, which are referral-based after confirmation of the need for psychological support.
HFSMC conducts epidemiological and social research through local surveys and studies in collaboration with various public, private, and international health institutions operating in the city. The center also strives to promote local partnerships, acting as a hub for networking among public and private health institutions in continuous joint efforts to organize healthcare trainings as well as local awareness campaigns and activities.
Hariri Foundation established several social and medical service centers across Saida in order to support the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health and Lebanese Ministry of Social Affairs in providing healthcare and psychosocial services to underserved areas across South Lebanon. Following a mass survey conducted among local households to assess their social and health needs, 3 centers were established in Saida, including in Saida’s historic district, Taamir Ein El Hilweh, and the Dekerman area. Up until 2014, the Ein El Hilweh center served as the key social medical center servicing the beneficiaries of South Lebanon. The centers offered a wide range of services, including primary health care clinics, specialist clinics, cardiac units, minor surgery, vaccination, radiology, nursing services, dentistry, dietetic services, phlebotomy services, pharmacy, psychosocial support and social services.
The centers’ establishment and expansion have greatly contributed to improving healthcare access in South Lebanon. Today, the Hariri Social & Medical Center in Saida’s historic district remains to be Hariri Foundation’s only primary healthcare center offering social & medical services to beneficiaries from South Lebanon to this day.
