The Armenian National Sanatorium was founded on July 1st, 1923 at Maameltein, near Jounieh under the auspices of the Armenian Apostolic, Evangelical and Catholic churches. The latter withdrew in 1931. Presently it belongs to the Catholicosate of Cilicia and the Union of Armenian Evangelical Churches of Near East.
The Sanatorium is a charitable, non-profit organization and is financially supported by the Armenian community in Lebanon, the Armenian Medical Fund, USA, the Jinishian Memorial Program and other charitable organizations and individual donors.
As the needs grew, a larger space was needed. A generous donation from Mr. & Mrs. Dicran Taylor of California helped purchasing 19 Hectares of land in the village of Azouniyeh at an altitude of about 1000 meters from sea level, with a healthy, dry air, surrounded by mountains and valleys overlooking the Baruk Cedars. The main building was started in 1937, and on August 12th, 1938, the Sanatorium was moved from Maameltein to its new location at Azounieh.
In course of years, new buildings were added. Currently the Sanatorium complex consists of: The Main Building-the hospital, The Semerjian building, Friends of Armenian Building, Dr. H. Keklikian Building, Los Angeles Building, Gulbenkian Building, a Canteen and a Cafeteria and a Chapel.
The Sanatorium has an operating room, an X-Ray room, laboratory, O.P.D. clinics, pharmacy, an electric power plant and other modern conveniences. It has a staff of 70 people and is administered from an office in Bourdj Hammoud.
The Sanatorium has served the Middle East and Lebanon. The Iraqi and Saudi Arabian Governments had maintained beds for their respective destitute patients, which ceased after the Lebanese Civil War..
The Sanatorium presently is the only hospital in Lebanon treating chest diseases. It has 50 beds and attends to patients of all nationalities. The Sanatorium also has a 100 bed Geriatric Department mainly for Armenians and an Emergency Care Unit.
This institution is the expression of heart-felt gratitude to the Lebanese people who welcomed the Armenian survivors after the Armenian Genocide.