In the memory of departed professor Dr. Anis Baraka

He was Emeritus Professor, Chairman, Department of Anaesthesiology, American University of Beirut, Lebanon, until his retirement.

• Anis Baraka was born in Faiyum, Egypt, in 1930

• He joined Cairo University to study medicine and graduated in 1953

• He was attracted to anesthesia during his intern postings

• He joined the anesthesia program in Cairo University Hospital

• In 1961, he was awarded the Research Degree of MD

• He joined the Cairo University's Anesthesia Department as a consultant anesthetist

• His MD thesis was on the subject of muscle relaxants. Professor. Cecil Gray reviewed the manuscript. “Cecil Gray is the Father of Relaxants in the UK. He invited Dr. Baraka to join his department in Liverpool as a research fellow. He accepted the offer and traveled to the UK in 1963

• In Liverpool, Dr. Baraka investigated the effect of PCO₂ on muscle relaxants and also compared the block obtained from different drugs.” These were the first of a series of studies on muscle relaxants that he published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia

• In Beirut, while he was in Liverpool, he received an offer to go to Beirut from “Dr. Bernard Brandstater, Chairman of Anaesthesiology at the American University of Beirut, to join the Faculty”

• He undertook further training at the National Heart Hospital, London

  

  Anis Baraka being decorated by Lebanese President medel of merit

• Then, he began his long association with the American University of Beirut in 1965

• His bibliography testifies to a formidable research output at this time

• He was appointed as assistant professor in 1966

• In 1976, he became Professor and Chairman of the Department of Anaesthesia, a post he has held for almost 30 years

• In the 1970s, stability collapsed and warring factions destroyed the city. There was a widespread breakdown of basic services, and there were significant risks to those who remained in the city

• Professor Baraka's slide collections are pictures of some of the horrific injuries of victims caught in the strife that continued for 15 years. Dr. Baraka says, “I was in Beirut throughout the war. He was the only chairperson who stayed because he felt his duty was to provide a service for the casualties. He found it interesting that even without supplies of oxygen and nitrous oxide, we could still provide effective general anesthesia and get good results.” In recognition of his achievements, and particularly his contribution during the war, he received a number of honors, not only from Lebanon but also internationally

• During the 1960s, I was working in England and vaguely knew about the group of Egyptian anesthetists and I wanted to work in Liverpool. As time passed, we met in conferences until 1984 when our first pan Arab scientific meeting was conducted in Amman, Jordan, I was acquainted with the professor. Throughout the next few years, our relations were strengthened further, especially in 1991, when he asked me to put forward the regulations for the Arab specialty and intensive care curriculum program for residents. In 1993, we accomplished the task, and officially, the board was established

  

  Anis Baraka as examiner at King Saud university fellowship in anesthesiology among candidates

  Second row left to right: Professors Anis Baraka Mohamed A Seraj and Salah Alfakih

  

  Anis Baraka at retirement party of Professor M.A. Seraj (Year 2003)

• The members of the scientific board for the specialty were selected. He became the chairman of the examination committee, and I was nominated to be the general secretary

• I retired in 2003, but he continued and deservedly was selected to be the president of Arab specialty and continued bless his sole to be the father of anesthesia of the Arab world

• In 1990, the Royal College of Anaesthetists awarded him an honorary fellowship, and he was appointed to the International Commission of the Ralph Waters Prize. He was a Vice President of the World Federation of the Societies of Anaesthesiology and represents them at the Regional Commission of the United Nations. Despite all the plaudits, he continued to anesthetize regularly. He said “I only go to my office when there is an official meeting. My present location is in the operating room where I function not only as the chairman of anesthesiology, but also as coordinator of the operating room”

• Academic activity: His department teaches both undergraduates and postgraduates on a residency program, with a full range of discussions, reviews, lectures, and presentations. “I allow our faculty to attend at least one international conference each year, such as the annual meetings of ESA or ASA”

• His own lectures are full of grainy black and white images interspersed with modern color prints detailing an astonishing caseload of difficult clinical problems collected from almost half a century of clinical practice

• His curriculum vita lists 20 pages of publications panning 40 years, many in the specialty's core journals. “He considered that academic anesthesia can be considered so only if there is continuing publication. He had 15 faculty who needed publications for promotion and always helped them achieve their goals”

• Retirement: He officially retired 10 years ago, at the age of 65. The university kept extending his appointment, on a yearly basis. Till his last days, he did not feel old enough to retire. The best relaxation he had was his work, and he enjoyed participating in the national and international meetings when he could socialize with his colleagues and talk work

• For those about to start a new career in medicine, he gives this advice, “Never do your job for money, prestige, or position. Medicine has a humanitarian message, you do it with love”

• Finally, whatever I can write or say about Professor Anis, I would not find enough words to fill pages and pages of gratitude, complements, and thanks. He gave over 60 years of his life to the specialty and furnished us with his excellent, dedicated, and innovated works. It was my pleasure to know, work, and learn from him, and we will miss his smile and the fun he gave us through the beautiful lectures and the social gatherings. From all your friends, colleagues, residents, and the future anesthetists, we bade him farewell and God bless. He will rest in peace

• Death: He died on June 30, 2016.