The American University of Beirut Medical Center (AUBMC) held the dedication ceremony for the Tanios and Souraya Semaan Outpatient Surgery Center on Wednesday, August 25, 2021. The Outpatient Surgery Center, located on the 9th floor of the Halim and Aida Daniel ACC, is a 2000 square meter state-of-the-art center that provides advanced, same day procedures such as pediatric, orthopedic, and vascular outpatient surgeries. It offers a wide range of surgeries and utilizes some of the most advanced medical equipment available and includes a twelve-bed pre- and post-operative area; a six-room pre-admission unit; and three state-of-the-art operating theatres.
The dedication ceremony was attended by AUB President, Dr. Fadlo Khuri, Medical Center Director, Mr. Joseph Otayek, Chief of Staff, Dr. Samir Alam, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Pierre Sfeir, Chairperson of the Department of Ophthalmology, Dr. Bahaa Noureddine, Chairperson of the Department of Surgery, Dr. Jamal Hoballah, Chairperson of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Dr. George Zaytoun, the Semaan Family, along with AUB and AUBMC leadership, dignitaries, and friends.
Dr. Sfeir, and on behalf of Interim Dean Zaatari and the Faculty of Medicine, conveyed his sincere and genuine words of appreciation and gratitude to the Semaan family for their generous contributions to the University and to AUBMC in particular. He said, “The beating heart of every hospital is its operating theater. This is the arena where we fight the disease, and where therapy and cure are offered to patients across the whole spectrum of medical specialties. The Tanios and Souraya Semaan Outpatient Surgery Center boasts three fully equipped state of the art operating rooms with their specialized areas for preoperative preparation and immediate post-operative care. The center is dedicated to catering for the same-day surgeries which constitute a significant part of our operative load but more importantly, they play an essential role in keeping the cost effectiveness and competitive aspect of our surgical services."
Dr. Khuri thanked the Semaan family for their philanthropy. “Welcome to a due celebration of the fruit of our common vision, hard work, and trust in AUBMC and its dedicated staff: the Tanios and Souraya Semaan Outpatient Surgery Center. Over the past few years, barraged with old and new trials and tribulations, a flicker of hope that was sparked in 2016 continued to light a clear path toward the success we celebrate today. The times have not been easy but we persist in our duty to serve with support from like-minded partners, such as yourselves, to have an endurable present and a prosperous future for all", he said. He added, “This state-of-the-art surgery center is rightly named in honor of the life and legacy of Tanios and Souraya Semaan, who have passed their strong belief in education and philanthropy to their benevolent children and grandchildren, so many of whom have gone on to study at AUB."
On behalf of the Semaan family, Mrs. Saideh Semaan Saadeh said, “We meet here today, not to celebrate in these difficult and dark circumstances, the likes of which Lebanon has not witnessed, but to remember our parents who believed that individual wealth had no meaning if it did not include the underserved in the field of education, health, and social care. This donation is a testament of our commitment to our homeland, Lebanon so that it remains a country of universities and hospitals and a source of expertise and competencies that are indispensable in order for it to maintain its meaning and message."