Under the patronage and in the presence of Deputy Prime Minister and Health Minister Ghassan Hasbani, Bellevue Medical Center held a press conference to announce the first successful uterus transplant in Lebanon, the Middle East and North Africa. The conference was attended by the medical Director and Vice president of the Medical Affairs at the hospital Professor Ghassan Maalouf, the Executive Director Nayef Maalouf, the head of Private Hospital Syndicate Sleiman Haroun, hospital officials, physicians and concerned persons.
 
In his statement, Minister Hasbani started by congratulating Lebanon on this new and unique achievement in the Health care sector, which makes our country a pioneer in the region. As a matter of fact, only ten centers around the world are able to perform this operation, ranking Lebanon first in the Middle East and North Africa in this field and giving hope to women who desire to give birth to babies.
 
“I personally made great efforts in the Ministry of Public Health to pave the way for transparent and clear reform steps, such as the medical tourism in spite of all the attempts to distort the image of the hospitalization sector for narrow political purposes, regional or confessional benefits used in the past years without anyone undertaking any reform steps,” Hasbani added.
 
“Lebanon is not only working at the local level, but also at the international level to improve human life. Dr. Randa Akoury was at the forefront of those who conducted researches at the international level as to uterus transplant.”
 
Uterus transplant in Lebanon came within a scientific research program conducted by a Lebanese medical team of the most outstanding specialists in organ transplantations at the hospital in collaboration with a Swedish medical team led by Professor Mats Brännström and the Lebanese doctor Randa Akoury. The transplant was conducted on 21 June to a 26-year-old Jordanian woman who received a uterus from her 50-year-old mother. The young woman was put under surveillance for one month to make sure no complications arise. The operation will be hopefully followed by an IVF procedure then a healthy pregnancy and a birth.