PROFESSOR Hanafy Youssef left a lasting impression on all he met.
Whether it was through speaking to him in person, hearing him at international conferences, or being one of his patients, his knowledge, dedication to the field of psychiatry and commitment to those he helped was appreciated by so many.
Hanafy came from humble beginnings, born in 1939 in Alexandria, Egypt to Ahmed Mahmoud and Latifa (Taher).
He studied medicine at Alexandria University and psychiatry in Cairo where he was also able to explore interests including literature (he authored several published novellas in Arabic), the arts (he was a reviewer for the university paper and won a national poetry award), sport (he played for the university football and wrestling team), science, politics, and languages (already fluent in Arabic and English before university, he added French and Russian).
After graduating he spent two years as a medical officer in the military including service during the Arab-Israeli six-day war.
He moved to Derry in 1971 where he fell in love with Ireland and the people. This is also where he met his wife Ann.
Hanafy would work as a consultant psychiatrist in St Davnet’s Hospital, Monaghan for the majority of his career.
The driving force for his life was to develop new knowledge to share and leave in the world.
He was at the forefront of community psychiatry in Ireland. With Dr John Owens he set up the first community-based service and was able to show that this led to better outcomes for patients and their families.
The programme was so successful that it led to a wholesale changes in how psychiatry was practised in Ireland and the UK.
Hanafy was the clinical tutor at St Davnet’s and also had significant input in postgraduate training at a national level. He adored teaching undergraduates and postgraduates. He was generous with his time and had a great capacity to explain difficult concepts to medical and nursing staff.
He was also actively involved in medical research with over 60 publications in scientific journals to his name and established the relationship between Cavan-Monaghan health service and the Royal College of Surgeons in Dublin. His particular areas of interest were in psychotic illnesses, neurodevelopmental psychiatry and psychopharmacology.
He used his fortunate position and influence to develop psychiatric services in places where access to mental health care is not prioritised over physical health.
He spent time in Zambia in the 1970s, developing clinics in rural areas where there could be a stigma attached to psychiatric illnesses, and fulfilled a lifelong ambition in 1994 by taking up a professorial post at the University of West Indies where he helped set up undergraduate psychiatry training in Trinidad & Tobago.
Hanafy was also a philanthropist and along with his siblings established Latifa’s Orphanage House and a Mosque in the suburbs of Alexandria.
He worked tirelessly for the underprivileged and would offer free medical care to any in need. He did volunteer work with charities in Yemen & Libya, providing both general medical and psychiatric care where there was a shortage of medics.
He was also fiercely passionate about social justice, a strong proponent of women in medicine and a mentor to many overseas doctors, who saw him as an inspiration.
Hanafy enjoyed his retirement years in Armagh. He had several papers published, reviewed books, contributed letters to newspapers and closely followed the strife of his Egyptian compatriots for freedom and progress. He was proud of his family and their achievements.
Professor Hanafy Ahmed Mahmoud Youssef passed away peacefully on January 21 surrounded by his family. He leaves Ann, his wife of 46 years, and their children Emma, Mahmoud, Latifa, Zahra, and Omar.
Omar Youssef
