Pioneer AUB Urologist Kamal Hemady dies
Dr. Kamal Hemady, a professor of urology at the American University of Beirut Medical Center, died on December 6. He was 78.
"Professor Kamal Hemady was a pioneer, mentor, teacher, colleague, a friend and a highly dedicated man," said Dr. Nadim Cortas, Vice President for Medical affairs and Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Medical Center, when he announced Hemady's death to the AUB community. "His loss leaves us deeply sad."
Cortas added that Hemady's long career is intermeshed with that of the Faculty of Medicine at AUB and with the development of the specialty of Urology in Lebanon and the region. "Kamal left us after a long life of exemplary non-discriminate giving," he said.
Hemady was born in 1930. He was awarded the M.D. degree from the American University of Beirut in 1956. He completed four years of residency training in general surgery at AUB followed by one year as a research fellow at the Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland (USA) before completing a 3 year residency program in Urology at the New York Hospital, Cornell Medical Center. His training included adult and pediatric urology making him the first pediatric urologist in Lebanon.
Hemady joined the Department of Surgery in the Faculty of Medicine at AUB in 1964 and was promoted to Professor of Surgery (Urology) in 1985. He insisted on staying in Lebanon during the civil war and established at AUB in 1982, the first Urology Specialty Training Program in Lebanon and the region and was the chief of the Division of Urology from 1985 to 2000.
Hemady held the position of Chairperson of the Department of Surgery from 1994 to 1999 during which he established the stone Center to include a Lithotripter and introduced intra-operative laser endoscopic lithotripsy to AUB. He developed the interdisciplinary laparoscopic program and markedly expanded the Kidney and Liver transplant programs. He grew the urology division by an additional three urologists.
"Throughout his career, Hemady was a competent teacher and up till the last few months, he continuously gave his time to improve teaching in the ambulatory setting to make AUBMC keep pace with the expected future changes in medical care," noted Cortas.
He was a founding member of the Arab Board in Urology and served till now on its executive committee.
In addition to all his giving, Hemady established the Kamal and Nuha Hemady Scholarship Fund to support AUB needy students of Medicine.
Dr. Kamal Hemady is survived by his two children Ramzi & Zeina, their families and generations of students and urologists he trained, that will keep his legacy alive.
