raida bitar is the hospital's chief pharmacist. the shortages have made her work almost impossible.they are not being able to import the medications because the central bank is not giving them the needed facilities, while the minister of health says that the medications are at the suppliers but the suppliers are not delivering, so that they can sell it at a higher price. every day, i receive calls from doctors and they are asking for certain medications. sometimes, these doctors are asking for the medications for themselves, for their families. but when a medication is not available, it's not available anywhere. these shortages mean a black market for drugs has developed, for everything from simple painkillers to cancer medications. i have been working here for 16 years and never, never have we passed a certain time like this. we have gone through wars, we have gone through strikes, but this one is the most difficult. the world health organization recently claimed that 40% of doctors have already left the country. those that remain are fast becoming the minority. i have encountered