
Dr. Ismat Ghanem. (Photo released by the Hôtel-Dieu de France hospital in Beirut)
In a statement released on Jan. 14 on social media, the Hôtel-Dieu de France Hospital in Beirut congratulated Ismat Ghanem, its current head of orthopedic surgery and head of the orthopedic surgery department at the Faculty of Medicine at Saint Joseph University (USJ), for his election as president of the French Society of Pediatric Orthopedics (SoFOP).
SoFOP is a French association that brings together pediatric orthopedic specialists, meaning doctors specializing in bones, tendons, or ligaments for babies, children, or young adults. This group regularly organizes educational and training seminars throughout France.
The position of president is currently held by Frenchman Philippe Gicquel. The announcement by Hôtel-Dieu de France Hospital in Beirut regarding Ghanem's appointment was significant: The Lebanese doctor becomes the first non-French person to occupy this role, "highlighting his international expertise and commitment to innovation and training," as noted in the statement.
Ghanem obtained his high school diploma in 1981 at the Collège des Frères Maristes de Champville, in Metn. Previously, he co-founded the biomedical engineering module at the Higher School of Engineering of Beirut at USJ. He is also a co-founder and co-director of the biomechanics laboratory at the same university.
Ghanem won the award for best article seven times at international conferences and is the author of dozens of scientific publications and chapters in specialized books and encyclopedias. From a humanitarian perspective, Ismat Ghanem has been active with the Palestinian Children Relief Fund (PCRF), addressing the medical and humanitarian challenges facing children in the Middle East region, notably treating and operating on children from refugee camps in Ain al-Hilweh near Saida and Nahr al-Bared in the North.