The Lebanese Red Cross Ceremony — Address by Miss Alexandra Thabet, Director of the Dispensary

We set down below the address delivered by Miss Alexandra Thabet, director of the Red Cross dispensary (formerly the Al-Nahda An-Nisaiyah dispensary) in Musaytbeh, on the occasion of the dispensary's annexation to the Lebanese Red Cross, in the presence of the wife of His Excellency the President, the president of the central society, Mrs. de Freige, and a number of distinguished ladies:

Madam First Lady of Lebanon,
Madam President of the Lebanese Red Cross,
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a happy day to see the First Lady of Lebanon, together with the president of the Lebanese Red Cross organization and the ladies who assist her, gathered here today with the respected doctors on the occasion of the annexation of this dispensary to the Lebanese Red Cross organization.

Truly it is a beautiful gesture that the efforts of Lebanese ladies should join hands with the zeal of Lebanese doctors to save the life of the poor, wretched patient.

Welcome, then, to ladies whom the country has known as a mainstay of the greatest charitable works.

Here, ladies and gentlemen, is a brief word on the founding of this dispensary and its work from its beginning to this day.

In 1943, while the flames of war still blazed, the ladies' society of Al-Nahda An-Nisaiyah resolved to take up an important side of social affairs, namely, concern for the health of the poor patient who is unable to treat his illness because he is taken up with what is, for him, more important still — earning bread for his family. They believed that this poor patient has a right to life like every able member of the nation who can look after himself, so they resolved to open a dispensary, and they appointed me to direct it. I hesitated at first, because of my ignorance of the art of nursing and of what duty toward the sick requires — even though I had formerly directed a boarding school; but the difference between the one and the other is vast.

I was encouraged by the ladies' confidence in me, and by my belief that any work done with sincerity and energy brings good results; so I accepted the responsibility, and I set before my eyes hard work and tenderness toward the poor. I went forward with all boldness, leaning upon my brothers the doctors whom the society had appointed, and great was my fortune, and the dispensary's fortune, in cooperating with them toward the desired goal. It gives me pleasure, ladies and gentlemen, to pay tribute to these doctors for the zeal, energy, and devotion they have shown toward this dispensary during three consecutive years, in which they worked without recompense — not only keeping with all punctuality the hours they had donated, but standing ready to serve at any time. Often we would call on them to work outside their appointed hours, and they answered our request with all pleasure; and we would likewise send urgent cases to their private clinics, where they received them with all kindness and gave them the best of treatment. Here are their names:

For internal diseases: Dr. Habib Shehadeh, Dr. Kamal Izz al-Din, Dr. Michel Du'aybis.

For women's diseases and surgery: Dr. Jamil Naja.

For skin diseases: Dr. Philippe Matta and Dr. Afif Suwayra.

For children's diseases: Dr. Abd al-Fattah Sahmarani.

For internal and women's diseases: Dr. Emile Salmoun.

We had no special doctor for diseases of the eye; so the doctors treated the outward ailments that required no specialist, and the rest we sent to the municipal health dispensary.

This year Dr. Jamal Karam Harfush volunteered to treat trachoma, just as last year she saw to the vaccination of a great number of patients against typhoid and smallpox. She asked the president of the American University, Mr. Dodge, to visit the dispensary, and he did not disappoint her request: he visited the dispensary accompanied by Dr. Pinkston, head of the medical institute at the University. Their pleasure was great at the activity the dispensary displays and at the throngs of patients who come to it, which shows their confidence in those who work there. Then they visited some of the patients in their homes, and saw the misery and poverty lodged in those houses, and those poor people's need of help and consolation; and they gave us great encouragement to persevere in the work, for the need of dispensaries like this one is pressing.

The vaccinations are carried out by Dr. Jamal Karam Harfush with the nurses Sawaba and Behnoush twice a week. As for trachoma, it is treated by Dr. Mustafa Manghali and Dr. Adnan Baydoun of the American University.

Surgical operations are performed at the Islamic Makassed Charitable Hospital, where 75 operations have been carried out so far for the dispensary's patients.

We have one nurse at the dispensary, Miss Alice Jabr; she assists the doctors and performs all the technical work of the dispensary.

Number of patients

Internal diseases 2,136; surgical 1,192; diseases of the head 408; children's diseases 1,176; skin diseases 828; women's diseases 225; dressings 13,908; injections 1,725; examinations 10,456; minor operations 69; new patients 5,846.

In closing, I have every confidence that this dispensary of ours will flourish and grow all the more by its joining the new Red Cross society, and will render services nobler and greater than those it has rendered in the past, through the zeal of our lady presidents and our energetic ladies, and of our doctors so devoted to the poor. Peace be with you.