It’s astonishing how health-related matters in this country are consistently handled with a lack of transparency, leaving room for speculation and rarely reaching proper resolution. Yesterday afternoon, the Lebanese Ministry of Health decided to announce via a Facebook post that the Tannourine water company must cease bottling operations and withdraw its products from the market within three days, after tests reportedly showed bacterial contamination.

One would expect the Ministry of Health to first reach out to Tannourine — one of Lebanon’s most trusted companies and the leading bottled water producer in the country — to investigate and verify the findings before making such a public announcement. Instead, the Health Minister delegated the matter to the Minister of Agriculture, who is currently acting as Health Minister while the actual minister is abroad on official business.

No one is asking the ministry to cover up a serious issue if contamination did occur. However, such a critical matter requires transparency with the Lebanese public — clearly stating what was found, where and how the tests were conducted, how often these tests occur, and why the immediate recall was necessary. If the company’s products passed similar tests just a month ago, why is a total recall now required? If there’s a discrepancy between the ministry’s results and the company’s internal tests, why not re-run the tests before releasing such a dramatic statement?

Added to that, what are the precautionary steps taken by the ministry to handle any surges in cases in hospitals due to this presumed contaminated water? Did they reach out to hospitals to see if there’s any correlation between these findings and recent admissions? What about other mineral water sources in Lebanon? Where can one find the test results?

The Municipality of Tannourine has already issued a statement expressing surprise at the ministry’s decision, requesting that the tests be repeated immediately to confirm the findings, and stating their readiness to fully cooperate with authorities to take the necessary measures.

As of now, Tannourine Water has not released an official statement. However, a press conference is scheduled for tomorrow to address the matter publicly: