The Lebanese Physicians' Podcast

Episode 41: The Beirut Blast and Hospital Disaster Preparedness with Drs. Haytham Kaafarani and Jamal Hoballahut Blast and Hospital Disaster Preparedness with Drs. Haytham Kaafarani and Jamal Hoballah

If you are interested in learning about disaster preparedness, please tune in to out latest episode of The Lebanese Physicians' Podcast discussing the results of the Beirut Blast Assessment for Surgical Services (BASS) Multicenter Study which was recently published in the Annals of Surgery as a result of a collaboration among 4 major medical centers in Beirut (AUBMC, LAUMC-RH, CMC Beirut, and HDF-Beirut) and the Center for Outcomes and Patient Safety in Surgery (COMPASS) at the Massachusetts General Hospital. In this episode co-hosted with Dr. MohammadAli Jardali, we discuss with Dr. Haytham Kaafarani, director of COMPASS, and Dr. Jamal Hoballah, Chairman of the Department of Surgery at AUBMC, the events surrounding the Beirut Blast, how the hospitals dealt with this mass casualty event, and lessons learned from this big disaster. We discuss disaster preparedness both at the emergency medical services level and at the hospital level.

You can also  listen to the audio version of this podcast on the following:

Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lebanese-physicians-podcast/id1545290394?i=1000547985363

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1Q9kiwXDwwFYWltAGVQNiu?si=h-RLJHPfTw6M6HXo_fo3lg

The YouTube version is on: https://youtu.be/fJmREG78ZxU

#beirutblast #lebanon #disasterpreparedness

Episode 40: Current State of Oncology in Lebanon with Dr. Anwar Shayya

Please listen and watch Episode 40 of the Lebanese Physicians Podcast. In this episode, we discuss the state of oncology and cancer treatment in Lebanon, which is suffering at this time due to migration of a large number of oncologists, and the lack of availability of essential cancer treatments due to cost and other factors. The state of oncology in the country sheds a light into the overall state of medical practice in the country.

We end the episode discussing ways to help and possible future directions. Also available on YouTube, Apple, and Spotify. 

YouTube: https://youtu.be/o4HL9qZJbP0

Episode 39: Global Smile Foundation: The Road to Sustainable Cleft Care with Drs. Usama Hamdan and Rami Kantar

Please listen to and watch our latest episode of The Lebanese Physicians' Podcast discussing the Global Smile Foundation with Dr. Usama Hamdan, President and Co-Founder of the foundation, and Dr. Rami Kantar.

The Global Smile Foundation was established more than 30 years ago and has been providing comprehensive and sustainable cleft care through clinical, educational, and research initiatives. It has treated patient across the globe in Ecuador, Peru, Lebanon, West Africa, and other countries, and has contributed to the education of physicians in many countries through the Comprehenive Cleft Workshop.

Please tune in to learn more about cleft lip and cleft palate, their causes and impact on people's lives, and to learn about the foundation and its future initiatives. You can donate or sponsor a patient on their website: gsmile.org

Also, feel free to contact them if you are thinking of volunteering. 

You can also listen to the audio recording on Apple and Spotify. 

I encourage you to watch the YouTube video on: https://youtu.be/SHUp0YlS6wg

Episode 38: Discussing genomic testing in Lebanon with CEO and founder of Genes Arabia Dr. Kevin Saliba

Please watch and listen to our newest episode of The Lebanese Physicians' Podcast, co-hosted with Dr. MohammadAli Jardali, discussing genomic testing in Lebanon, its past, present, and future with CEO and founder of Genes Arabia Dr. Kevin Saliba. Dr. Saliba is a surgeon by training having finished his training at the Lebanese University. His enterpreneurial spirit led him to develop Genes Arabia serving Lebanon and Jordan currently and providing genomic sequencing and testing for people in these regions. In this episode, we discuss the difficulties and the opportunities of starting a company in Lebanon in these times, and the state and perception of genomic testing in Lebanon. We hope you enjoy it.

The episode is also available on YouTube on: https://youtu.be/2TUrZZxE2eg

Episode 37: Discussing domestic violence, reproductive health, and period poverty in Lebanon with Dr. Jinan Usta

Please listen to our newest episode of The Lebanese Physicians' Podcast with Drs. Jinan Usta and MohammadAli Jardali. Dr. Usta is Professor of Family Medicine at the American University of Beirut Medical Center and a big advocate for violence prevention in the household having published extensively on the topic. 

The socioeconomic crisis in Lebanon has had devastating consequences on people's savings accounts and quality of life. This has included all aspects of life, including marriages and relationships, and reproductive health. 

In this episode, we discuss the statistics around domestic violence in Lebanon, and the effects of the economic and security crisis in the country on the rates of domestic violence. We also discuss period poverty given that a large percentage of women in the country cannot afford the necessary resources for adequate menstrual hygiene. In addition, we delve into reproductive health and the inability of women to afford contraceptive medications. 

Finally, we discuss potential solutions and future outlook. We hope you enjoy the episode. 

Episode 36: No fuel. No problem. How doctors in Beirut still make it to work with Dr. Zaki Sleiman

Please listen to and watch our newest episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast with Dr. Zaki Sleiman who is an obstetrician now based in Switzerland but still works in Beirut. We discuss Dr. Sleiman's most recent post of him holding a newborn wearing his biking gear dedicating this picture to the baby to remind it of the historic time it was born in Lebanon in the middle of its worst ecomonic crisis. Dr. Sleiman who is an avid triathlete biked 10 kilometers to work to deliver the baby due to the lack of fuel and basic supplies in the country. We touch on the crisis in Lebanon from all its angles and discuss the future prospects for healthcare in the country. We hope you enjoy this episode.

 

Youtube Link: https://youtu.be/4VBUdOPAPwU

 

#lebanoncrisis #fuelshortage #podcast #Lebanon #medicalsupplies

Episode 35: Rationing Medical Supplies in Lebanon with Dr. Bernard Harbieh

Please watch and listen to our latest episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast with Dr. Bernard Harbieh, a cardiac electrophysiology specialist at the American University of Beirut Medical Center and at KMC.

 

In this episode, we discuss the difficulties physicians and patients are having to obtain the necessary medical supplies for life saving procedures. In Dr. Harbieh's case, we discuss the struggles he is having with getting pacemakers and pacemaker batteries.

We delve into the reasons behind the crisis and discuss potential solutions. We hope you enjoy it.

#pacemakers #medicalsupplies #Lebanoncrisis

You can also watch this episode on Youtube on: https://youtu.be/3YOaetY1rcM

Episode 34: ”Elle habitait a Sandwich”- Reflections of an immigrant to the US Midwest with Pauline Karroum

Please listen to our latest episode of the The Lebanese Physicians Podcast with Pauline Mouhanna Karroum, a journalist, novelist, and avid writer, who immigrated to the Springfield, Illinois area in the United States Midwest for her husband's medical training. In this episode, we discuss her novel "Elle habitait a Sandwich", or "She live in Sandwich", the story of Therese, a new immigrant to Sandwich, IL. Her novel describes in detail what goes through the minds of immigrants, especially hailing from Lebanon, as they start the process of adaptation in their new homeland. It delves deeply into the connections with their home country, Lebanon, and their struggles to form their new identity in their new countries. 

We hope you enjoy this discussion. 

Also available on Apple and Spotify. 

#immigration #Lebanesemigration #Lebanon #Unitedstates

You can visit Pauline's website on www.paulinemouhannakarroum.com

and you can find her book on Amazon, Amazon Prime, Kindle, and in select bookstores. Pauline promises she is working on translating it to English for people like me who are not the best at French. 

Episode 33: Zero COVID in Lebanon: Is this a dream or could it be a reality? with Dr. Jade Khalife

Please listen to and watch our newest episode of The Lebanese Physicians' Podcast with Drs. Jade Khalife and MohammadAli Jardali.

Dr. Khalife holds an MD from the American University of Beirut, a Master of Public Health, Health Management and Policy, and a Master of Science from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He is an advocate of the ZeroCOVID strategy and has established the Independent Lebanese Committee for the Elimination of COVID-19 with a clearly outlined strategy for Lebanon.

In this episode, Dr. Jardali and I discuss with him the pros and cons of the Zero COVID strategy in Lebanon and internationally, and we discuss his vision of combating COVID in Lebanon moving forward. Whether you are an advocate of the ZeroCOVID strategy or you believe in other COVID mitigation strategies, you will certainly enjoy this episode.

For more information, you can keep up-to-date on ZeroCOVID for Lebanon on zerocovidlb.wordpress.com and on twitter @zerocovidlb #ZeroCOVID #COVID19 #COVIDvaccine

Available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/QelhPnY1Ydo

Also available on Apple and Spotify

Episode 32: Medical Training in Australia with Dr. Serge Geara

Have you thought about doing your medical training in Australia? Have you considered working in Australia as a doctor? Have you thought about life in Australia? If you have not considered this or if you are looking into this pathway, listen to this episode of The Lebanese Physicians Podcast with Dr. Serge Gaara who started his medical school at LAU, and subsequently transferred to Australia to finish his medical school there and now is doing his medical training there. Get the inside scoop from someone who knows the system well and feel free to contact him via Facebook Serge Geara. We hope you enjoy this podcast.

YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/BZUgnH___RI

 

Also available on Apple and Spotify