“The Arab Hospital Magazine: From Humble Beginnings to Great Success”
Celebrating 200 heartbeats in Healthcare and Media
Written by Simon Semaan
Today, we celebrate the 200th issue of “The Arab Hospital” magazine. Since its early years, the publication has played a major role in strengthening relationships between media and health, the hospital and the community, the doctor and the patient, medical production companies and their consumers, and between universities, institutes, researchers, and all those working in the health world.
Over the years, through 200 issues, this relationship was not only business-oriented but also carried a strong medical and informative mission amidst a rapidly evolving, highly competent, and ambitious field. It was an honor for “The Arab Hospital” magazine to keep pace with this development and contribute to its progress. The magazine’s main goal is to promote the individual’s physical and emotional well-being and public health.
The Publisher and General Manager of “The Arab Hospital Magazine,” Mr. Simon Chammas, talks about the beginnings, milestones, and successes of this entire journey that became a dream come true, embodied in the two-hundred issues of the magazine.
Chammas says, “The idea of establishing a specialized medical magazine that deals with the healthcare industry and contributes to the communication of medical information started when I realized that there was a need in the market for a publication that covers all aspects of healthcare in the Middle East region. There were some articles here and there, but they did not keep up with the rapid growth of the medical sector in the region.
He further states, “The existence of a large number of social, economic, political, and technology magazines and the lack of medical publications covering the medical field, along with the activities and news of ministries of health in the Middle East, encouraged me to plan and pursue this project. We started as a small team and worked with healthcare partners in the region to become a leading source of healthcare business and medical news. We now cover all healthcare trends and healthcare events in the region. Our mission is to keep up with the latest developments in healthcare, hospital news and activities, along with success stories of professionals in the field who are driving transformation with their innovative thinking.
Chammas adds, “The idea behind the name “The Arab Hospital” came after teamwork and brainstorming. When we talk about the health sector, hospitals are key; they matter to people and often mark central points in their lives. And because our main focus and interest is the Arab world, we came up with the name which became the title of a leading healthcare magazine.”
He continues, “In 2006, actions were taken upon this idea and our first issue was launched. Our main target is to provide people and empower them with health information to make effective and informed decisions. In addition, we help healthcare institutions to introduce their latest technologies and skills and healthcare leaders to disseminate their ideas and achievements.”
Our communication strategy is to inform, influence, and motivate individuals, institutions, and communities in making effective decisions to improve health and enhance the quality of life. Chammas explains, “Since the beginning, we were aware of the importance of our role in health communication; we were committed to being a reliable source in healthcare and providing our readers and followers with the latest news. We wanted our readers to understand the health sector comprehensively, and we believed that ‘The Arab Hospital’ succeeded in its mission.”
Communication is Key
In this regard, Chammas says, “The initial goal was to become a relevant and accurate source of healthcare news in the region, we started sponsoring top health and medical seminars, conferences, and exhibitions, and we became media partners to leading healthcare and medical conference & congress organizers worldwide”.
He adds, “In 2009, “The Arab Hospital Magazine” took another step on the expansion level. Due to the increasing number of foreign-language-speaking readers, we decided to publish “Hospitals Magazine” in English, which covers almost the same topics, with some distinctions to meet the aspirations of new international markets, in addition to the Arab world.”
The result of our hard work led to strong relationships with our advertisers, who became partners and friends, close connections we take pride in. Our media platform was considered their initial communication tool to deliver their latest achievements, expansions, and success stories.
Importance of Digital Publishing and E-Magazines
Chammas says, “With digital transformation, it was clear that we have to bridge between print and digital, even though we believe that print still has advantages over digital. Therefore, to stay at the forefront of health communication, we launched our websites and digital applications and engaged in all social media platforms to reach the largest possible number of readers.”
He adds, “In addition to that, we started our own YouTube channel where we release filmed interviews with doctors, experts, and leaders in the health sector which became more on demand amongst our followers.”
The Secret to Success
The publisher of “Arab Hospital” and its General Manager, Simon Chammas, does not fail to highlight the role and contribution of the team, which he describes as “One of the secrets to success.”
He continues, “Besides the teamwork, there is also the family atmosphere, which distinguishes us from most regional institutions. Since 2006, we have been working with utmost efficiency and professionalism, yet the concept of regular attendance or requesting leave is not part of our daily routine. Everyone works with the same spirit and responsibility as if they are the business owner. This, of course, does not mean the absence of precision and commitment, which we maintain at every level of the job.”
He points out that “During the coronavirus crisis, the change to remote work became a must, however, we have been doing that since 2006, and this allowed us to adapt to this change easily, maintaining the efficiency and hard work our team promises to offer.”
On this occasion, Chammas promised that “The Arab Hospital Magazine” shall remain a trustworthy source for its readers and an ambassador to the healthcare sector. He finally expressed gratitude to everyone who participated in this success and said: “We will pursue our purpose, mission, and values, and we will be honoring health pioneers in appreciation of their successes in this sector and their contributions to healthcare.”
To future cooperation and success…
