In a world that is swiftly evolving, working life conditions are continuously changing too; this chapter will deal with changing environment and its impact on our lives; it will cover the historical background of healthcare in Lebanon, the entrepreneurial factors affecting the Lebanese hospitals stressing on the working life needs especially the skills needed to learn new things which will provide a better ability to adapt to changing working environments. This chapter also stresses on the role of core competences among entrepreneurs in special fields of social and health care. The healthcare industry has experienced a worldwide growth and proliferation of innovation aimed at improving our lives, its quality and providing better treatment in addition to creating a good working environment enhancing employee performance and self-satisfaction.
TopBackground
Innovation in the healthcare domain mainly in Lebanon passed through several phases; the introduction of healthcare to the country was not easy; it passed through many difficulties. Historically, the existence of healthcare organization can be tracked back to the crusaders era.
Historical Background
The healthcare system in Lebanon can be tracked back to the nation’s existence where Phoenicians used to practice primitive healthcare indicators; this primitive knowledge was taken from the Egyptians through the trade they used to do together. Lebanon used to be an intermediate ground between the Crusaders’ and Salah el din’s armies where both armies introduced what was called the field hospitals. These hospitals were designated to deliver treatment and rest for the wounded soldiers (Punoose, 2004).
World War I and II played a role in the progress of the medical sector; however, it was only in the first fifteen years of independence (1943 – 1958) that we witnessed the birth of the primitive infrastructure of district and rural hospitals with a governmental policies aiming to create orders and rules to provide healthcare for the society (Regional Health Systems Observatory, 2006). The Lebanese government encouraged social development and community participation.
In 1964, the social security fund was established and the private sector became more and more involved in the healthcare sector by building many private hospitals.
One year after (1965), the Syndicate of Private Hospitals was established; it was the gathering of all private hospitals whose aim was to represent private hospitals and to play the role of a task force enforcer for laws and regulations. One of its main purposes is to organize and set a unified strategy on how to cooperate with the government drawing together a road map for the healthcare sector. Moreover, the establishment of “The Order of Nurses” played an important role in shaping the healthcare system through organizing the nursing work in Lebanon.
Lebanese Hospitals Nowadays
Recently, Lebanon has been facing a demographic change and an epidemiological transition with millions of Syrian, Iraqi and Palestinian refugees living in the small country of 10452Km Square. This crowded population in a small geography creates concerns of a double burden of diseases. Nowadays, there is a noticeable rise in the incidences of communicable diseases, which increases the risk level among the population (Ammar, 2003) in a country with an increasing rate of public debt, increasing poverty among the population, and a minimal growth since 1999 (Sfeir, 2007).
The growth in the number of private hospitals and the tough competition among them have given the Lebanese healthcare system a competitive advantage over the hospitals in the region noting that Lebanon has 2.88 beds per 1000 population making this country one of the highest ratios in the Middle East (Sfeir, 2007).