Pope Tawadros II, accompanied by a number of bishops, inaugurated on 6 February the Saint Paul Hospital in Hadayeq al-Qubba, Cairo. The hospital was established by the Eastern Desert Monastery of Anba Pola, St Paul the Anchorite aka St Paul of Thebes, some 115km south of Suez, near the Red Sea.
The Pope was warmly received by Anba Danial, Bishop and Abbot of the monastery, and was taken to the hospital building in a procession of Church Boy Scout drummers, as children cheered him in while holding Egypt’s flag and his pictures.
After cutting the ribbon, Pope Tawadros and the bishops were led through a tour inside the three-storey hospital, by Hospital Director Nader Ishaq who is a consultant surgeon and oncologist.
An opening celebration was held by the hospital administration. The bishop delegation accompanying the Pope included Anba Moussa, Bishop of Youth; Anba Marcos General-Bishop of Hadayeq al-Qubba’s churches; Anba Kyrillos, Bishop of Naga Hammadi; Anba Marcos, Bishop of Shubral-Kheima; Anba Yustus, Abbot of the Monastery of Anba Antonius in the Eastern Desert; Anba Qozman, Bishop of Northern Sinai; as well as Anba Eklimandus, General-Bishop of churches of Almaza, Ezbetal- Haganna, and east Nasr City.
The celebration opened with a number of hymns chanted by Ava-Pavli choir, followed by a welcome speech by Dr Ishaq.
Dr Ishaq talked about the hospital as a state-of-the-art feat of accuracy and professionalism. “This explains how we were able to recruit consultant and senior doctors to join the hospital which provides medical services not only to the people in Hadayeq al-Qubba but everywhere. The hospital, he explained, included units for premature babies, surgery, gastrointestinal endoscopy, radiology, chemotherapy, a medical laboratory, and blood research centre, outpatient clinics, and an emergency room.
“In two months,” he said, “our kidney dialysis unit will start operation. We also plan to add a physiotherapy department and, in the future, CAT scan unit.”
Anba Danial then gave a talk in which he said that, as servants of Christ, the epitome of our mission is to serve the community. He spoke of the hospital as the brainchild of Fr Missail Anba Pola, the monk-priest in charge of the Cairo premises of the monastery. “When Fr Missail proposed the idea of a Cairo hospital back in 2011, I though it was a big, difficult task. But once we the first steps on the project started, the business went smoothly by the grace of God, and the dream came true; the Lord is indeed True and Faithful.”
“This hospital is a great achievement,” Fr Missail said, “through the sincere efforts of Wagdy Mounir, Chairman of Miracle Pharmaceutical Company; Engineer Murad Ghareb and his office staff who provided the architecture design of the hospital; Mr Magdy Rafla, and Ms Hanaa’ Ezzat, head of the nursing department in the hospital.” Ms Ezzat said that the hospital hoped to achieve a quality leap in nursing standard which generally leaves a lot to be desired in Egypt, by recruiting nurses who believe in the profession as one of mercy, sacrifice, and professional excellence.
A documentary film on the hospital was screened.
Finally, Pope Tawadros delivered a speech in which he thanked everyone who contributed towards establishing the hospital, and said, “It is important to have a strong start, but much more important to proceed on the same level of professionalism.” Medical service, he said, relies on science, art, and humanitarianism; all of which are key to the success of any medical establishment. He then presented all the supervisors and workers in the hospital with souvenir gifts.
Watani International
12 February 2018