Hospitals in Lebanon raced to treat a sudden surge of thousands of patients, including Hezbollah members, who were wounded in a coordinated attack targeting hundreds of pagers used by the militant group.
At least nine people were killed and at least 2,800 wounded in Tuesday’s attack.
Minister of Public Health Dr Firass Abiad told reporters on Tuesday that about 200 of the wounded were in critical condition requiring surgery or admission to intensive care units, according to state news agency NNA.
Most of the injuries were to the face, abdomen, hands, and eyes, he said, according to NNA.
Footage from inside one of the hospitals showed chaotic scenes with staff attending to dozens of men bandaged and bleeding. Patients lay on the floor as people carried in more of the wounded.
Many of the wounded appeared to have sustained injuries to their limbs and faces.
Abiad visited several hospitals in the capital, Beirut, on Tuesday evening and then again on Wednesday morning, NNA reported.
During the visit on Tuesday, he said the Healthy Ministry had started directing the wounded to hospitals outside the capital and its southern suburbs, according to NNA.
The American University of Beirut Medical Center said it had received more than 190 patients and was operating at full capacity.
Pagers used in hospitals: The medical center also rebutted what it called “rumors and conspiracy theories” circulated widely online that the facility had changed its paging system before the attack.
AUBMC added that its paging system had been upgraded in April 2024 and began operating on August 29, 2024.
