Achievements
Hope rises from ruins!
The Quarantina Hospital was completely abandoned following the Lebanese Civil War. Having endured a fair share of destruction, the premises resembled anything but a hospital, and silence echoed through the empty halls.
The first mission of ASSAMEH Birth and Beyond was to take over this deserted premises and convert it into a first-class government medical center.
Within simply a few months the transformation was astonishing; an entire floor was up and running, treating newborns and premature babies.
Through the continuous dedication and perseverance of the team, the hospital is now known as The Carlos Slim Center for Children and is the only government university hospital in Central Beirut.
Fitted with the most advanced medical equipment, the center is run by a top-notch medical team made up of a team of pediatricians and specialists, pediatric nurses, and rotating residents from leading private hospitals across Lebanon.
Hope now fills the halls. Where there was darkness the cries of joy and happiness bring light to every corner.
Rebuilding what was lost
Perhaps our biggest achievement since establishing ASSAMEH Birth and Beyond and setting up the Quarantina Hospital, was rebuilding what was lost after August 4, 2020.
The explosion devastated the city and destroyed our premises, but we did not let it affect our spirit and commitment to our mission. Our perseverance and the support of our donors gave us the push we needed to get the center up and running again.
Through the generous support of the Swiss Government, we were able to redesign and build the new center and it was fully equipped by ASSAMEH Birth and Beyond through generous donations. Not only that, but in less than three weeks a temporary neonatal intensive care unit was established followed by units for pediatrics.
Through the charitable contributions we received, we were able to salvage the damaged equipment and purchase new machines and supplies that helped us advance our offerings and better service our patients.
The renovation plan began to roll out just weeks following the explosion, with every phase allowing us to open our doors and cater to a certain number of cases. The complete project was finalized by April 2021 with a new optimized design including: an admissions area, an ER with 2 beds, an operating room, an ICU with 15 incubators, a main area with 12 full-stay beds; in addition to a restring room for doctors and a facilities area. The blast shook us on many levels, but it also reassured us of the importance of our cause. We hope we are never forced to close our doors again!
Building a medical dream team
ASSAMEH Birth and Beyond is a mission, but the medical team are the heartbeat of our mission and keep us going. Led by Dr. Sacy, a team of dedicated doctors, residents, and nurses work collaboratively on both the medical state and the emotional state of the patients and their families.
The leading medical team is comprised of pediatricians and specialists, pediatric nurses, and rotating residents from leading private hospitals across Lebanon. The pediatric ward is a life-saving facility with the best medical and surgical equipment and leading specialists to handle every case:
• Dr. Robert Sacy – Neonatologist
• Dr. Sylvana Zoghbi – Pediatric Pulmonologist and Allergist
• Dr. Nabil Diab – Pediatric surgeon
• Dr. Elie Bechara – Hematologis
• Dr. Judy Matta – Gastro-enterologist
Our departments also include a dedicated Neonatology and Pediatrics Psychology Care Unit that highlights the human approach that we embrace at ASSAMEH Birth and Beyond, integrating a psychological dimension into our institution.
Whether newborns dealing with abandonment, premature babies, mothers handling separation, or children dealing with the stress of being in a hospital, our team offers the emotional support and guidance needed. In addition to our health care staff, we know the job can take a toll on their emotional state and want to ensure they have the right platform to share their stories.
Our team also includes a group of volunteers who run the Cuddles Volunteer Program. This program is built around the Kangaroo Care Method (KC) and is based on the fact that babies who receive skin to skin contact and cuddles heal faster. Babies who are cuddled often demonstrate greater growth, physiologic stability and have shorter hospital stays than babies who have not been cuddled.
Bronchoscope project
In a project led by Dr. Sylvana Zoghbi, ASSAMEH Birth & Beyond were able to secure a bronchoscope for the Carlos Slim Pediatric Center.
Bronchoscopy allows for examination of airway anatomy and dynamics. One of the most important roles of bronchoscopy in the diagnosis of airway disease is obtaining samples from the airways.
With the support of the generous donors, the center was supplied with the latest equipment, and has become one of the leading pediatric wards in Lebanon, across both the public and private sectors.
The flexible pediatric bronchoscope has saved the lives of many children and has facilitated the diagnosis process for the doctors.
The only government owned PTU in Lebanon
Beyond simply being a means of transportation to the hospital, neonatal ambulances should be specially equipped and include pediatric trained personnel.
With that in mind, in 2018 ASSAMEH Birth and Beyond acquired a new ambulance and transformed it into the first and only government owned neonatal mobile intensive care unit, fully equipped with a portable incubator, a mobile respirator, and an MRI compatible monitoring system.
This new Ambulance ensures the safe transport of newborns under the supervision of a team of well-trained doctors and helps prevent complications such as brain encephalopathy and neonatal asphyxia.
To date, this ambulance has assisted in the transport of several critical patients to the hospital and provided all the necessary emergency care before arriving. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Nadine Mokdessi and her theater company for their generous contribution and for the support of S.I.D.I.A. sal.- Société d’Importation et de Distribution Automobiles.
Our doors are open to everyone!
Since establishing ASSAMEH Birth and Beyond we have stayed true to our mission and provided medical treatment to everyone without any discrimination. Not only that, but we pride ourselves in never turning down a case, no matter how complicated. Just to give some insight into the numbers, one year we received 42 babies with no legal documents. This led us to work closely with the concerned authorities to put a system in place to facilitate the process. We work collaboratively with an allocated judge to fast-track the process and provide these babies with the best care on both a medical and social level.
Additionally, we never turn down a medical case and always find the resources and medical solutions to give the child the best treatment available. We have created a network of leading specialists, whom we consult with on every case. We also consult and guide parents on the process and what to expect and do the necessary research on similar cases around the world. Every newborn or premature baby that comes through our doors receives 100% of our dedication and we do everything in our power to allow them to live their best life.
Our goal is to continue to save as many babies as possible and to ensure that no one is rejected at our doors and they remain open for everyone.
Takreem awards in Abu Dhabi in October 2022
The TAKREEM 2022 Awards Ceremony was held at The Cultural Foundation in Abu-Dhabi under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Nahayan Mabarak Al Nahayan (26 October 2022)
Arab men and women who have made their mark in the fields of science and technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, and humanitarian work were recognized.
ASSAMEH Birth and Beyond, which specializes in the rehabilitation and running of children’s wards in government hospitals won an award in the category of humanitarian and civic services.
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