Hôtel-Dieu de France (HDF) inaugurated the Dr. Philippe Kfouri Room during a visit from the National Academy of Medicine of France, honoring a pioneer of Franco-Lebanese medicine.

The ceremony brought together Prof. Christian Boitard, Permanent Secretary of the Academy; Prof. Jacques Belghiti, Deputy Secretary; Prof. Jean-Marc Ayoubi, Corresponding Member; and Mr. Albert Kfouri, President of the Malta-Lebanon Association, alongside leaders from the medical, academic, and administrative sectors of HDF and USJ.

Mr. Nassib Nasr, Director-General of the USJ-HDF Hospital Network, opened the ceremony by honoring Dr. Kfouri’s memory and recalling HDF’s historic role as a center of care, education, and Francophone medical excellence. He emphasized that this moment of recognition reflects a longstanding commitment to fostering durable ties between France and Lebanon, serving both medicine and humanism:

"By naming our multipurpose room after Dr. Kfouri, we preserve his memory and reaffirm our dedication to the values he embodied: rigor, vision, and humanity. This solemn moment also celebrates the friendship between our two countries through a vibrant and forward-looking medical collaboration."

Mr. Albert Kfouri, representing the Kfouri family, delivered an emotional address, urging that this tribute inspire future scientific ambition, with the goal of establishing Beirut as a major hub for medical research in the region.

Prof. Christian Boitard highlighted the creation of the Dr. Philippe Kfouri Prize, an initiative by the Academy to strengthen international collaborations, particularly with Lebanon. He noted that the first recipient, Dr. Hampig Kourie, hematologist-oncologist at HDF, was recognized for work conducted in exemplary collaboration with Georges-Pompidou Hospital in Paris.

Prof. Jacques Belghiti spoke about the Academy’s long-standing support for medical research, awarding more than forty prizes annually through donations and legacies. He praised the creation of the Kfouri Prize, underlining its strategic importance in reinforcing Franco-Lebanese ties.

Prof. Jean-Marc Ayoubi expressed pride in the prize’s evolution into an annual recognition and congratulated the laureate once again for the excellence and relevance of his project. He added:

" This hospital is more than a medical center—it’s a true outpost of Francophone medicine in the Near East. Over the years, it has trained exceptional physicians."

The ceremony also traced the remarkable trajectory of Dr. Philippe Kfouri, born in Beirut in 1894 and exiled to France in 1915. A pioneer in the fight against tuberculosis, he became a French citizen in 1927 and developed an innovative tuberculin test, authorized for sale in October 1944, just weeks before his death at the Institut Pasteur. His work was later advanced and industrialized by Dr. Charles Mérieux to achieve global impact.

A reception concluded the ceremony, highlighting a legacy of scientific excellence and the enduring collaboration between France and Lebanon.

Read also: Hommage à un pionnier : l’HDF inaugure la salle Dr Philippe Kfouri