assame - ASSAMEH Birth & Beyond

Hospitalization is never easy, especially when it comes to a child. It is necessary to listen to the child, prepare him in words that are suitable to his age and maturity, and help him express his pain when he can’t elaborate his feelings. Art therapy and other artistic activities could be introduced to help the child dream, hope, and hopefully ease his pain and his anxiety.
Parents of hospitalized children could also benefit from a psychological support program so they remain strong and can guide their child through this difficult phase.

ASSAMEH Birth and Beyond has handled very extreme and rare cases throughout the years of operation. To share these case studies with the next generation of doctors, regular conventions are set up with the University of Balamad to discuss, share and learn.

In order for the students to have first hand experience, medical students from the University of Balamand and the Lebanese University visit the hospital on a regular basis to observe the work being done.

In addition, the doctors that operate at the Carlos Slim Center for Children are general surgeons and when in need of specialists there is a partnership with St. Georges Hospital.

Every child is born with not only a physical dependency but a psychological reliance on his environment and his caretakers. Studies show how an early and/or sudden mother-baby separation could affect the child and even cause mental regression and severe symptoms that could progressively develop due to this emotional deprivation. This abandoned child, relies on being loved, touched, spoken to, and held to acquire a sense of existence.

More and more studies reveal the risk of psychological repercussions on preterm babies, such as anxiety disorders, behavior disorders and learning difficulties. All of which reinforce the importance of receiving psychological support during this critical period. This child who embarked on life while flirting with death has to establish a bond between our world and his to evolve. This child should be comforted by a warm voice that helps them focus on something other than the loud machines. As for the parents of these children, working on the mother-child bond is essential. To assist the mother during this premature separation, it is important to respect her pace and let her create a bond with her baby however and whenever she is ready and help her ease the guilt of not being able to take her baby home

We knew it was essential to integrate a psychological unit as part of our operation, be it for the newborns and children, their families and even our team of dedicated healthcare workers. Needless to say, a personal and often sensitive story accompanies our patients at birth and beyond.

ASSAMEH Birth and Beyond, with the support of friends in France, organized a fundraising concert to assist in rebuilding the center following the August 4 blast. The live streamed concert included a lineup of 5 DJ’s from France: The Avener, Bob Sinclar, KUNGS, Polo and Pan, Martin Solveig, Mosimann et FEDER.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Cyprus, Mr.Nikos Christodoulides, accompanied by delegations from the Embassy of the Republic of Cyprus head by Ambassador Panayiotis Kyriacou and UNICEF visited ASSAMEH – Birth & Beyond at the Beirut Governmental Hospital in Quarantina. Following the August 4 deadly blast, much like the entire city of Beirut, the hospital was destroyed. Amidst the face of the destruction, the Government of Cyprus were among the first to support with a one million Euro funding to support the rehabilitation work of the new Quarantina Hospital building through UNICEF.

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.

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!

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.

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