Healthcare in Libya

1
Healthcare in Libya
Association of British Healthcare Industries
Export Club Focus on the Middle East
Feride Alp Membership and Marketing Manager The
Middle East Association info_at_the-mea.co.uk www.the
-mea.co.uk 24 May 2007
2
About the MEA

• Non-profit making organisation set up in 1961 to
  promote trade and investment between the UK and
  the Middle East - which includes Iran and Turkey
  and, latterly, Afghanistan. Works in close
  co-operation with UKTI and the FCO.
• Members number about 350 UK-based companies and
  50 overseas (corporate and individual),
  representing manufacturing and service
  industries, from the very large to the very
  small oil majors, aerospace, banks, law firms,
  manufacturers, traders, consultants and so on.
• The Association organises up to seventy events a
  year in-house which include a monthly At Home
  country seminars briefing meetings and
  subscription luncheons for visiting British
  Ambassadors and senior British Government
  ministers/officials.
• Overseas activities include sponsoring and
  leading trade missions, and sponsoring British
  pavilions at important international exhibitions.
• Only organisation of its kind in the UK which is
  dedicated exclusively to the promotion of trade
  and good will between Britain, the Middle East,
  North Africa, Turkey and Iran. Its varied
  membership and range of activities throughout the
  year make it a unique and valuable forum for
  networking at all levels.

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Libya key facts

• Head of State Muammar Al-Qadhafi
• Head of Government Dr Shukri Mohamed Ghanem
• Population 5.5 million
• Currency Libyan Dinar (approx. 1 LYD 2,58)
• GDP per capita circa US3,500
• Major industries oil, gas, cement, textiles,
  food processing
• Main import sources Italy, Germany, UK, Frandce,
  Turkey
• Main export markets Italy, Germany, France,
  Spain
• Opportunity sectors healthcare, education,
  tourism, infrastructure, transport, oil and gas.

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Service quality

• Poor in primary healthcare due to low staff
  motivation, training and lack of equipment
• Poor motivation due to salary restrictions
• Lack of Libyan doctors in rural areas
• Lack of nurses due to low pay
• Poor quality nursing education
• Lack of specialist doctors in key areas
• Lack of basic medical equipment
• Shortage of qualified technicians to maintain and
  repair equipment
• Low level of computerisation
• Lack of family doctor system
• Libyans opting to purchase private medical care

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Allocation of resources

• Decentralisation giving power to the 33 Shahabiya
  who have their own budgets
• Central health authorities powerless to monitor
  spending requirements
• Lack of centrally-determined policy guidelines
  and organised information systems
• Shortage of other health workers, such as
  pharmacists, medical technicians and trained
  paramedics
• Too many medical students being trained 15,000,
  compared to 9,000 practising doctors for a
  population of 6 million.
• 13 doctors, 48 nurses, 34 hospital beds per
  10,000 people
• 420 out-patient clinics and 60 in-patient clinics
• 1,084-bed capacity
• Average spending per year per household 100.

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Environmental and behavioural risk factors

• Four main behavioural risk factors
• Smoking
• Diet
• Physical inactivity
• High blood pressure
• Therefore, increased in non-communicable diseases
  such as
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Cardiovascular diseases
• Chronic respiratory diseases
• Environmental risk factors
• Poor road safety
• Poor water quality
• Growing TB and AIDS danger

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Changes to commercial and investment laws

• Law 5 passed in 2006 to attract investment of
  foreign capital
• Minimum investment capital US1.5 million, with
  50-50 partnership.
• Foreign ownership of Libyan companies 65
  foreign shareholding, with a minimum of
  US770,000, a third of which must be fully
  paid-up upon incorporation, with the remainder
  being paid within 5 years of incorporation.
• Right to transfer dividends for investment
  projects
• Exemption from tax on some products
• Exemption from income tax for five years
• Law 443 a Libyan agent is required if you are
  not an investor in Libya
• It takes one month to 45 days to set up a company
  in Libya
• Arbitration not a signatory of the international
  arbitration conventions

8
Healthcare in Libya
Association of British Healthcare Industries
Export Club Focus on the Middle East
Feride Alp Membership and Marketing Manager The
Middle East Association info_at_the-mea.co.uk www.the
-mea.co.uk 24 May 2007