Amal Al-Sibai Saudi Gazette JEDDAH – What started out as an idea, a dream of a visionary, and an incessant obsession and passion now stands erect in the heart of Jeddah, gleaming in white stone, boasting of genius architectural design and premium quality of healthcare. The International Medical Center is a culmination of the hard work and ambitions of brilliant minds from its founder Dr. Walid Fitaihi, and chief architect Dr. Sami Angawi,and a whole team of skilled and innovative physicians, architects, designers, administrators, and scholars. To celebrate its success and introduce the concept of healing by design to the society, a distinguished lecture about the architecture of the hospital and the inspiring story behind its design was held at the International Medical Center on Sunday for over 1,000 attendees. Dressed in a white thobe and turban on his head as the traditional Muslim scholars have done centuries ago, Dr. Walid Fitaihi greeted and addressed the audience and mesmerized them with his fervor, energy, and wisdom. “Some may question the choice of a Harvard graduate to meet his guests dressed in a thobe and turban, but for me it is an honor because it is what the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his companions and the renowned scholars in Islam wore. “The Muslim scholar, Avicenna (Ibn Seena), became a qualified physician by the age of eighteen and the book he wrote on medicine was used as a medical textbook in European universities for 500 years. We placed a monument here in the hospital as a tribute to Avicenna, along with hanging the biographies of brilliant Muslim physicians of the past on the walls of corridors in different sections of the hospital,” said Fitaihi. “From the first moment when the idea of building a hospital was born, we wanted a construction that would preserve the identity, culture, and traditions of the Islamic civilizations that had flourished for centuries. From the Islamic design standpoint of a hospital, there is no such thing as mere décor that is only superficial. In fact every detail incorporated in the design of the hospital has a role in promoting healing in the patient; adopting a holistic approach of caring for the mind, body, and soul,” said Fitaihi. The mastermind of the design, Dr. Sami Angawi, insisted on having a window in every in-patients' room to allow the entrance of natural sunlight and to offer the patient a view of one of the four green gardens on the hospital's premises. He headed the architectural team and consulted with over 80 experts in different fields in Boston, Massachusetts. The American architects drew him an initial blueprint of a building that looked like a closed, glass box, and Angawi rejected it because he was adamant on including open gardens in the hospital. The founders of the IMC had no desire for a replica of a contemporary Western shimmery buildings. “Our primary goal was not designing an extravagant building. Our goal was to give patients the elements they need to get well. That includes breezy air, open spaces, gardens filled with colorful flowers and greenery, flowing water, and soothing sounds,” Angawi said. Natural gardens were used in hospitals in the past by Muslims in Cordoba and Andalusia but have been neglected in modern days. Exposure to natural environment can lead to improved healing in patients, quicker recovery, less medication use, reduced perception of pain, shorter hospitalizations, and decreased anxiety and stress among patients, family members, and hospital staff. These findings have been documented and reported by Roger Ulrich, Ph.D, professor of architecture at Texas A&M University. The gardens in the hospital serve as a refuge, a tranquil place where patients and visitors can relax. Another rule that Fitaihi was firm on, despite criticism, was maintaining only single patient rooms for all in-patients in the hospital, without exception. “Critics claimed that allowing only one patient per-room was not cost effective and that I would regret such a decision. However, I wanted to implement the HadIth of the Prophet: ‘None of you is a believer until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.' Every patient is entitled to privacy, comfort, calmness, and restful sleep in his/her room. “In fact, studies now indicate that when the health of one patient deteriorates, the health of other patients in the same room is negatively impacted. Having a single patient room reduces the risk of contamination and the spread of contagious illnesses, and also reduces the risk of medical error on the part of hospital staff,” said Fitaihi. Taking into consideration the powerful influence of the mind on body and the emotional state on the physical state, the designers of the hospital created an ornamented wooden panel above the patient's bed-head unit to conceal the complicated and frightening looking medical equipment, oxygen masks, and tubes. Glimpsing at such equipments upon entering the hospital room may produce feelings of fear and tension in the patient. Verses of the Qur'an were carefully chosen by scholars and were engraved in beautiful golden Arabic calligraphy on the archways of entrances to corridors, out-patient clinics, and in waiting rooms and in-patient rooms throughout the hospital. Such verses impart hope, patience, persistence, faith, and are important reminders of mankind's connection with the Creator. Angawi recalls: “In our planning and designing phase with the team in Boston, I was told that building a hospital requires an architect, not a philosopher, but we had a vision and a mission to fulfill.” The International Medical Center was recognized and certified with numerous prestigious awards including the Makkah Award of Excellence, Best Hospital Design in the Middle East Award, and Best Hospital Healing Environment in the Middle East Award. It was the first hospital in the Kingdom to be accredited by the Joint Commission International. “For me, the best prize I received was when King Abdullah attended the opening ceremony of the hospital. He stepped off the red carpet to approach me and shake hands with me and he told to me ‘I can feel something spiritual in this place. This place was once a vision; a dream that I encompassed in my mind, and today it is a place in reality that encompasses me,'” said Angawi. The founders of this hospital hope that they have paved the way for incorporating the concept of healing by design and that hundreds of other hospitals across the Middle East will sincerely follow their lead and also adopt a holistic approach to healthcare. The memorable event on Sunday was concluded with a book-signing session by the CEO, Dr. Walid Fitaihi and the renowned architect, Dr. Sami Angawi, and the distribution to all guests of the book entitled Healing by Design. The writers, designers, photographers, and translators were awarded at the ceremony for their efforts in articulating the vision of the hospital in this book.
