ABOUT US

It all began in 1878  with a philanthropic association recognized by the Orthodox Archbishop of Beirut under the name of Aid Committee to Assist Needy Patients. The first hospital was founded in 1878 in Gemayze-Gouraud. It was made of a single room belonging to Mr. Panayot Fakhoury, a member of the Aid Committee to Assist Needy Patient, who donated a single room in his Gemayze home to be used as a clinic and in-patient facility. In 1880, Panayot Fakhoury added a second room as an extension to the first one. In this nascent hospital, 416 patients received healthcare, among whom 18 were hospitalized.

In 1881 Archbishop Gofrael Chatila gave it the name of “Saint George for the Orthodox”. This year, the number of patients reached 2000. To cope with the patient load, a hospital of six rooms was constructed in 1883. Six doctors worked tirelessly, three of whom were American citizens headed by Dr. Cornelius Van Dyck. 

As the hospital reputation grew, so did patient demand. This led to the construction of a 90 bed hospital which saw completion in 1913. The philanthropic society and the "Waqf" of the Saint George Church secured funds for the new site.

The hospital was confiscated by the French authorities between 1919 and 1923. During this time it was used as a teaching center affiliated to the Saint Joseph (French) School of Medicine. 

To meet the high demands of caring for a much bigger flow of patients, the hospital once again had no choice but to expand. A new 275 bed facility was completed in 1966. 

This year saw the start of an era of hardship in Lebanon. Internal conflicts and terror demolished most of the country’s infrastructure. Deaths and casualties were many. People bonded together and helped each other to get through the suffering.

Saint George Hospital did not close its doors at all. Quite the opposite, there were times when surgery was performed in hallways due to lack of space. Clean drinking water and food for the elderly were distributed to homes. 

In the midst of the unrest and with a delay of five years due to internal conflicts, the hospital marked its centennial anniversary.

His Eminence, Metropolitan Elias Audi truly described the spirit of the hospital and its mission with the words "it is not by accident that we are in this part of the world, but a living witness to His Glory. We shall stay, serve and preserve unto the end by the Grace of God". 

As the conflict continued its rage and ravage, the struggle to provide quality care and service continued. During these years three major services became available at the hospital: CT Scan, Open Heart Surgery and Quality Assurance. 

The country's struggle ended in 1990. Peace brought with it the opportunity to inject new high tech services into the hospital, such as:

• IVF ( In-Vitro Fertilization)
• MRI ( Magnetic Resonance Imaging)
• Kidney Transplant Unit
• Endovascular Unit
• Osteodensitometry
• Molecular Biology Laboratory
• Quality Systems for Health Care - National Accreditation Award
• Post-Graduate Medical Education (Residency Training Program / Balamand University) 

A year full of events to celebrate 125 years of service to the community.

A year to be remembered by many who participated in some of the 24 activities ranging from conferences to cultural events, concerts, recitals, a photo contest, a walkathon, a health fair and planting of trees. A year that culminated on April 23, 2004 with a Gala Evening dinner held at the Phoenicia Hotel. 

The stone laid down during the ground-breaking ceremony in February 1998 yielded a new 200 bed hospital in June 2004 which became fully operational in June 2005 (Phase I). The following new high tech equipments were added to the 2001 acquisitions:
• Advanced Densitometry Unit
• Audiometry
• Cardiac Catheterization and Angioplasty
• Cochlear Implant Center
• Electro-Physiology Unit
• Emergency Medical Center
• Endoscopy Center
• Enhanced Sleep Apnea Unit
• Genetic Unit
• New Flat Panel X-Ray Machine
• New Multi-Slice CT-Scan
• New Physiotherapy Center with Hydrotherapy
• Speech Therapy Unit
• Telemedicine 

Helipad & New Services

• Bariatric Surgery Unit
• Geriatric Unit
• Helipad for trauma and emergency cases needing rapid evacuation by helicopter
• Pediatric Neurometabolic Unit 

The hospital 5 years strategic plan identified the following areas in accordance with its vision to enhance excellence in medical services:

• Cardiology Center and Physiology Clinic
• Children’s Hospital
• Health Tourism Office and Services
• Neuro-Science Unit
• Oncology Center including Pet Ct-Scan and Radiotherapy