Lebanon has a highly fragmentedhealth care system. The Lebanese population receivesits health care services through a system dominated bythe private sector that is dependent to a large extent onpublic sector financing. Lebanon spends about 8.3%of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on health.This study consists of observations on the utilizationof the Ministry of Public Health (MOH) programof hospital care provision. The study population includedall patients admitted for hospitalization in anyof the 126 hospitals contracted with the MOH, betweenAugust 2008 and July 2009 (one full year). Thisreview is limited to medical admissions only. Thesurgical admissions have been excluded since theyare covered under a ‘flat fee’ reimbursement. Findingsreveal that a significant proportion of the hospitaladmissions under this program are for conditions thatmay not need hospitalization. Moreover, most of theseadmissions receive care in relatively small and peripheralhospitals. The findings ought to lead to a furtherscrutiny of the ministry program of support to thehospitalization of its nationals.Measures may be indicated to improve the efficiencyand effectiveness of hospital utilization, avoid wasteand possibly fraud, and reconsider the role of smalland peripheral hospitals within the health care systemof the country.