The Rotary Club Beirut Cedars represented by its President Mr. Hagop Dantziguian delivered replacement medical equipment to the Hopital Libanais Getaoui with a total value of 430’000$ partially funded by Global Grant GG2119623 with the support of the German Rotary Club of Bad Homburg v.d.H.
The delivery of the items took place in the presence of His Excellency Andreas Kindl, the German Ambassador to Lebanon, replacing damaged items from the blast of August 4th 2020.
The Rotary Club Beirut Cedars worked closely with the general management of the hospital: Sister Hadia Abi Chebli from the Congregation of the Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family and Professor Pierre Yared, former Dean of Faculty of Medical Sciences at the Lebanese University.
The replaced items are: Endoscopy Tower, Laparascopy Tower, Cytoscope, C-arm, MRI compatible patient Monitor, MRI compatible ventilator as well as an Oxygen Generating station, most of them supplied by German manufacturers.
Professor Yared thanked the Rotary Club Beirut Cedars as well as the German Rotary Clubs for their help in recovering from the damages occurred to the hospital by the blast. He stated that this donation helps the hospital maintain its 95 years of uninterrupted services. He also thanked the sponsors by saying that this donation does not only constitute a material gift but also gives hope to continue the journey of offering medical services and saving lives.
Mr Dantziguian emphasized on the heroic role played by the team in saving lives of those that were severely injured during the Beirut Blast despite the damages the hospital had incurred itself. He also emphasized on the crucial role of Past president Antoine Kaldany in the coordination and execution of this project. He finally expressed his consideration and respect to the President of the Rotary Club of Homburg v.d.H Christof von Dryander and its past president Mr Erhard Krause, thanking Germany for their constant support for Lebanon and stating “we Rotarians form an a-political group of businessmen who strive to build a society where one lives in dignity”
H.E. Andreas Kindl emphasized on the importance of German private sector donations in addition to the state donations in supporting Lebanon, with this contribution helping the hospital getting back on its feet.
H.E. Kindl brought up the unbelievable figures of the drain brain of the Lebanese medical staff triggered by the difficult economic situation in the country, yet expressed his relief by stating “It is for me good to see that in some island in these areas of the blast, a new life is coming and a new contribution to what can be done in this country”.
He also shared his personal experience on the day of the blast, reminding of the disaster he saw on August 4th and confusion in the streets of Beirut, praising the solidarity of the Lebanese population he had witnessed where many were offering shelter to the victims and offering help to their fellow compatriots.
He concluded by showing his appreciation in all the engagement being put to help build a better Lebanon.