More than 500 staff members of the largest hospital in Beirut yesterday protested their lay-offs as Lebanon experiences its worst economic crisis since the 1975-90 civil war.
The sacked employees at the American University of Beirut Medical Centre (AUBMC) are mainly nurses and administrative staff, sources at the hospital said.
They gathered yesterday outside the hospital off Beirut’s main Hamra Street.
“We were notified this morning. Now we are on the street,” a crying nurse said. “What will I do now and how will I raise my two children?” another asked as tears welled up in his eyes.
The number of laid-off employees at AUBMC will reach 850, an official at the hospital said on condition of anonymity.
There has been no official comment from the hospital.
The head of the syndicate of private hospitals in Lebanon, Suleiman Haroun, said: “This is just the beginning.We are heading towards a more serious situation in this sector.” Haroun said it was “shocking” to see such mass sackings at the AUBMC, Lebanon’s largest and oldest university hospital. In recent months, the Lebanese pound has lost more than 70% of its value against the dollar since October, when demonstrators took to the streets, calling for economic reforms and accusing the ruling class of corruption. The devaluation of the Lebanese pound has caused a sharp spike in prices of all essentials and caused thousands to lose their jobs. 
Meanwhile, hundreds gathered in central Beirut, mainly retired army personnel who follow the so-called National Salvation Front headed by General Chamel Roukoz.  Roukoz has called for forming a new government that would have more powers to be able to deal with the country’s deteriorating economy.
“Revolution, revolution,” chanted the crowd as Roukoz delivered a speech branding the government of Prime Minister Hassan Diab as lacking “competence” to deal with the country’s economic woes. Diab formed his cabinet in January, several months after mass protests forced his predecessor to resign. “For this ruling power we say the day of judgement is coming,” Roukoz said. 
Roukoz is the son-in-law of Lebanese President Michel Aoun, whom Roukoz is not on good terms with. Roukoz believes that neither Aoun or Diab are doing enough to help revive Lebanon from its spiralling economic crisis.