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Al-Ahram Weekly 22 - 28 July 1999 Issue No. 439 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 22 - 28 July 1999 Issue No. 439
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Features Focus Interview Travel Living Sports Time Out Chronicles People Cartoons Letters Too close for comfort?
By Hala HalimAs the eve of the new millennium approaches, and work on the final stages of the construction of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina progresses at a frantic pace to meet the deadline for the building's preliminary inauguration, officials in charge of the project are said to be considering the demolition of a hospital complex adjoining the library.
Overlooking Silsileh Promontory in Chatby quarter on the Alexandrian corniche, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina shares its eastern border with two hospitals: the Alexandria University Children's Hospital and the Chatby University Maternity and Gynecology Hospital. Both were built in the early 1970s and are now deemed aesthetically unbecoming companions to the library. The hospital complex, if the proposal is put into effect, will be replaced by a garden.
So far, the hospital authorities have not been officially notified of the possible demolition. A high-placed official in the General Organisation of the Alexandria Library (GOAL) confirmed that the idea of demolishing the hospitals has been mooted, but was adamant that no steps have been taken to put it into effect. "We are now working within the boundaries of the site; no decree [concerning the demolition of the hospital complex] has been issued yet, but the idea is there," explained the GOAL spokesperson, who requested that his name be withheld. "It is understood that the library will have an impact on the urban setting, on the area around it and on the traffic, hence the need for open space around about -- parks, or an esplanade, to replace the hospitals."
Staff at the Alexandria University Children's Hospital have written a report detailing the medical and academic services offered by the hospital. Offering medical treatment for the most part free of charge, the Children's Hospital is the only specialised institution of its kind serving Alexandria, Matrouh, Kafr Al-Sheikh and Beheira Governorates. In 1998 alone, according to the report, 9,345 patients received treatment at the hospital, 88,080 attended the out-patients clinic, and 4,565 surgerical operations were performed.
The Children's Hospital also offers research and practice facilities for doctors and nurses from Alexandria University. The report, which has been sent to the Minister of Higher Education, Moufid Shehab, and to the President of Alexandria University, Essam Salem, further details the damage to its medical services that a change of premises would entail.
In the wake of the 1992 earthquake, the premises of the hospital had to be moved while restoration took place, and it was not until January 1998 that work could resume on the Chatby site. According to a professor of pediatrics at the hospital, "The six years away from the hospital were a bitter experience -- medical equipment damaged in the move, cramped quarters where contagion spread among patients, a higher rate of infant mortality, disorganisation -- and we fear it will be very much the same story if we have to move again."
The Children's Hospital in Chatby was recently renovated and refurbished at a cost of LE 6 million, including medical equipment donated by charity.
Staff at the Children's Hospital point out that in 1992, the cornerstone for a building to house the hospital was laid in Smouha. Although the inauguration of the new premises, for which a budget of LE12 million was earmarked, was scheduled for three years later, the building has yet to be completed. As for the perceived aesthetic inappropriateness of the hospital as a companion for the nearby Bibliotheca, the medical staff argue that the hospital complex could easily be improved by decorating it with murals that would chime well with the library. Should the Bibliotheca need a garden, this could be accommodated on the empty plot of land to the south of the library, across Rue Soter, which is the property of Alexandria Governorate.
"We are very keen on ensuring that the setting of the Bibliotheca is harmonious and aesthetically pleasing", commented Minister of Higher Education Moufid Shehab, under whose jurisdiction both the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and the hospital complex fall, "but there are, of course, several considerations here. The committee of the Bibliotheca, which I head, is working on determining the exact perimeter [of the library] and on seeing to it that adjoining buildings are of an aesthetic level that matches a building of such size and elegance. But we are still studying alternatives, and no final decision has been taken."
