The incessant sound of hammers is joined by the howl of sirens from the cargo ships in the neighboring port of Beirut, still devastated. On this anniversary of the murderous double explosion of August 4, 2020 which blew away a large part of the Lebanese capital, leaving 200 dead, 6,500 injured and 300,000 homeless, the public hospital of Quarantine seems to be reborn from its ashes . After ten days of total interruption due to confinement, the reconstruction of the pediatric wing and neonatology is finally waking up. Twenty workers are working day and night to revive the premises blown away by the double explosion. Because the service must start at the end of February at the latest. The old building, already tired before the tragedy, has been almost redone. It will give rise to an independent structure of three pavilions with a capacity of 34 beds. The first for pediatric, neonatal intensive care and pediatric intensive care, the second with an operating room, kitchen and laundry room and the third dedicated to administration.
Workers hard at work to reopen the neonatal wing of the Quarantine public hospital.
A unit “worthy of a Swiss chalet”
Professor Robert Sacy, founder of the Association for Mother and Child Support in the Hospital (Assameh) which co-manages the public institution, promises a service for premature newborns and sick children “worthy of a Swiss chalet ”. A grateful nod to the address of “Switzerland which exclusively financed the reconstruction work, to the tune of one million dollars”. As for the equipment, of which about 60% survived the double explosion and the rest was donated by generous donors, they are just waiting to be installed. “This service will have six intensive care beds, 18 incubators and 12 pediatric rooms,” announces the head of the institution’s pediatrics program, a specialist in neonatology and pediatric resuscitation. In the longer term, the place should take on the function of a day hospital for young patients with cancer, metabolic diseases or requiring dialysis.
At the same time, in the old building of the public hospital urgently rehabilitated after August 4 by the Association of French-speaking mayors, 18 children including 6 premature newborns were taken care of, pending the reopening of the hospital. pediatric wing. Here, no case of coronavirus, but sick children who need to be treated and monitored permanently. “In these times of pandemic, the Quarantine hospital is the only one to welcome very premature babies and children suffering from attacks other than Covid-19”, explains Professor Sacy. In the hushed silence of the place, young patients are among the most disadvantaged. Social cases are a dime a dozen. Like these two children beaten and burned by their stepmother, one of whom will not survive. Like these Syrian refugees taken care of by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Like, finally, those stateless people who are called bidoun (without identity) and whom no one wants. “A stateless infant was rushed in for dehydration. His father only had 100,000 LL in his pocket. We hospitalized and treated him, because no one would have admitted him. He is now cured, ”emphasizes the pediatrician. In total, in 2020, and despite the significant drop due to the pandemic and the explosion, the Assameh association hospitalized 870 premature and sick children at the government hospital in Quarantine, against a thousand the previous year. “A month after the explosion, we were already operational,” he says.
In front of the new building, the work of which is due to resume soon, Professor Robert Sacy, founder of Assameh, an association which co-manages the Quarantine hospital. Photo A.-MH
Resumption of work on the new building
Professor Sacy’s commitment to the most disadvantaged does not stop there. The reconstruction of the pediatric wing of the government hospital in Quarantine is only the first step in the ambitious plan to transform the institution into a care center for mother and child with a capacity of 300 beds. “We want to make it a benchmark hospital in the Middle East,” he says. A project whose second stage is taking shape after several years of uncertainty, with the announced resumption of work on the new building, started in 2015 under the control of the Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) and interrupted in 2017 for lack of funds .
Because in the aftermath of the explosions, faced with the scale of the destruction, donations flowed in to the benefit of Assameh, thanks to the mobilization of States and individuals. “We have received nearly $ 10 million in donations, in cash and in equipment,” reveals the specialist.
“It is therefore Unicef (United Nations Children’s Fund) which will be responsible for rehabilitating the building and completing the work on it thanks to financial aid from the French Development Agency (2 million euros ) and the Cypriot authorities (1 million euros). Aid which is in addition to the funds granted by Assameh of USD 1.2 million, ”explains Professor Sacy. Seven companies are now competing for the call for tenders. The selection should be made by February 10, the date scheduled for the launch of the project in the presence of the French Ambassador, Anne Grillo. “We hope to inaugurate the new premises on August 4,” observes Robert Sacy. One year after the explosion, our capacity will then be 120 mother and child beds. “
All that remains is to launch the third stage of the project. Destroy the old building which still bears the scars of the civil war and replace it with a brand new construction. “The talks with the ambassador of Qatar are well advanced in this direction”, reveals the practitioner, who hopes to see his dream realized of finally building a real “palace for underprivileged children”.
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The incessant sound of hammers is joined by the howl of sirens from the cargo ships in the neighboring port of Beirut, still devastated. On this anniversary of the murderous double explosion of August 4, 2020 which blew away a large part of the Lebanese capital, leaving 200 dead, 6,500 injured and 300,000 homeless, the public hospital of Quarantine seems to be reborn. ..
