In Libya, Adventist Health-care Legacy Sparks Visit with Partnership Potential

A team of health-care professionals from the Hearts for Mission organization, accompanied by Rick McEdward, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Middle East and North Africa Union Mission (MENAUM), and Marcia McEdward, director of MENAUM health ministries, recently wrapped up a five-day trip to Libya. Their visit had the goal of supporting the country’s health care and educational development, regional church leaders reported.

A Group with a Purpose

The delegation was welcomed by the Libyan government through the Office of International Cooperation from the Ministry of Health and the National Council on US Libya Relations (NCUSLR) based in Washington, D.C. It included a cardiothoracic surgeon, a cardiologist, trauma specialists, and nurses, who worked closely with Libyan health officials to explore ways to provide support and share knowledge to enhance the country’s health-care system. Nan Wang, cardiovascular surgeon, is the president and founder of Hearts for Mission.

The team had been previously introduced to Hani Shennib, a US-based, Libyan-born medical professor specializing in cardiovascular and thoracic technology and surgery. As president of NCUSLR, Shennib played a pivotal role in making the visit possible.

The group had several meetings with His Excellency Othman Abduljalil, Minister of Health, and his team, who shared the government’s ongoing efforts and plans to improve health care across the country.

Rick and Marcia McEdward had the opportunity to introduce some of the key preventative health programs that Adventists offer in the region. Programs include Breathe Free, a global initiative Adventists promote that aims to assist individuals to quit smoking and teach and support them in their journey to a healthier lifestyle. The group also met with the principal of the University of Benghazi, Izzidin Aldresy, who shared the status of the Faculty of Medicine and potential means of collaboration.

A Legacy of Service

The visit held particular significance as the team toured the Benghazi Children’s Hospital. This building holds special importance to the Adventist Church because it was once a location of Benghazi Adventist Hospital, which opened in 1966 under Roy S. Cornell’s leadership.

Benghazi Adventist Hospital started as a small 27-bed facility, later growing and relocated as a modern 60-bed hospital by 1968. What made it special was its diverse team; more than 40 families from the United States, the Philippines, Korea, India, Australia, Indonesia, and several Middle Eastern countries worked there, alongside many Libyan health-care workers.

The hospital did more than simply treat patients. It ran a charity clinic twice a week that helped 50 to 100 people who couldn’t afford medical care. The former hospital team also traveled to distant towns with a mobile clinic, bringing hope and essential health care to people who lived far from the city. They also ran an ambulance service that helped both city residents and workers from desert oil fields when an emergency happened.

The hospital was a beacon of hope for the community, becoming so well known for its excellent care that King Idris I of Libya visited in 1968 and called it the “number one” hospital in the country. This reputation can be attributed to the institution’s founding purpose, which is inscribed on the dedication stone: “To the Glory of God and the Service of Humanity.”

Forming New Links

During their recent stay, the team was welcomed with the finest Libyan hospitality, and they were honored guests in several encounters, including a traditional Bedouin dinner. They also had the opportunity to meet with several government officials and share moments with the deputy minister and staff of foreign affairs.

Throughout the five-day visit, the delegation engaged with numerous medical institutions and academic centers, including Al-Jalah Hospital, Dar Al-Hekma Hospital, Shahat Teaching Hospital, and Benghazi Medical Center. They also connected with the Medical Colleges Complex at Benghazi University (a public university with more than 85,000 students). At the University of Benghazi, besides meeting principal Izzidin Aldresy, the delegation briefly met Martin Longden, British ambassador to Libya. Finally, they visited the College of Medical Technology in Benghazi.

Visits facilitated discussions on how international organizations and Libyan institutions can collaborate to elevate health-care standards and medical education, with the long-term goal of enhancing the quality of local treatment and services, leaders reported.

Delegates also visited Shahat, where they focused their time in Shahat City Pulmonology Specialty Hospital. Officials from the institution welcomed the group with a tour of the facilities, followed by a meeting that could only be described as insightful, full of passion, and characterized by Libyan hospitality.  The team also visited the ruins of Cyrene, which holds biblical significance as the place of origin of Simon of Cyrene, who is known as the man who carried the cross of Jesus on the way to His crucifixion.

Both the Hearts for Mission and Adventist teams were given special mementos of partnership and appreciation by the Ministry of Health, with the hope of future collaboration for the people of Libya. Each of the guests were presented with a personalized token of appreciation with a photo of the original 1966 dedication stone and a cutting of a Cypress tree planted at the Benghazi Adventist Hospital, with these words, “This is the shell of the cypress tree that you planted in in 1968 in the soil of this good land, which breathed the air of Benghazi until the city was decorated with it, and now you are returning to your green plant to irrigate it with new tenderness for peace.”

The team that participated in this trip left Libya with their hearts filled with the hope of returning in the future with more health-care professionals to supply the needs that arise in the North African country. Their visit not only honored the enduring legacy of the Adventist Healthcare System but also showed the spirit of service that characterizes Adventists around the world.