20 January 2017
Health sectors in countries the world over face the same twin challenges to supporting their populations: the growing burden of chronic diseases coupled with an ageing population. The Palestinian health sector is no exception to this.
Developing the speciality of ‘family medicine’ can be key to meeting these challenges, as it combines a patient-centred approach to providing continuous and comprehensive care across the lifetime of a patient and to all members of a family. Developing this specialism in the Palestinian health sector is therefore important to ensuring all people have access to high-quality primary care which is equitable, efficient and affordable.
MAP is therefore continuing to support the Palestinian Association of family medicine (PAFM) in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). During the past five months, members of the Association have participated in international and local conferences on family medicine to enhance their skills and knowledge so that they can provide high-quality care to their patients.
In September, Dr Mohammad Al-Rab’i, Head of PAFM, attended conference in Tunis where he spoke to delegates on the challenges of developing family medicine in oPt. There, he thanked MAP, the Foundation for International Development of family medicine in Palestine (IDFMP) and the Ministry of Health for their continuous support for this work. “The conference was very fruitful as we got an overview of family medicine throughout the world and learnt about its challenges in other countries”, Dr. Al-Rab’i said.
Dr Al Rab’i, along with members of the Association, also participated in the 11th International conference of the Jordan Society of Family Medicine in Amman in October. As part of the conference, PAFM member Dr Isra Al-Asa conducted a workshop on ‘patient-centred care’ with the support of Dr Mohammad Al Rab’i and Dr Samar Musmar. “I am so grateful that the workshop was a success with so many doctors participating”, Dr Al-Asa said.
All members have also participated in the Local Medical Union conference that took place in Bethlehem in October, where Dr Abdallah Mash’al, another member of the Association, gave a presentation on smoking and sexual transmitted diseases.
Fifteen highly motivated and talented participants have just enrolled on a residency programme where they have the opportunity to work and train in two newly accredited family medicine training centres, the first of their kind in the West Bank, developing core competencies against a curriculum that MAP, IDFMP and An Najjah National University (ANNU) have helped restructure to meet international standards.
Dr Hina Shahid, a family medicine trainer from London, recently visited the oPt to assess the progress with this programme. She was pleased to see the progress made in training and practice since her last visit to the West Bank six months ago.
In December 2016, Dr Shahid met the new residents and the faculty at ANNU’s Department of Community and Family Medicine to support teaching sessions and discuss the residents’ aspirations to be leaders of family medicine and to improve the overall health of Palestinian people. She also had the opportunity to meet members of the PAFM, who have been active in raising the profile of their specialty across the West Bank, as well as regionally across the Middle East through workshops and conferences. Their work has also been featured as far afield as Germany, where it was recently presented at the European General Practice Research Network conference.
Such international contact and collaboration has been important to boosting morale and reducing isolation for Palestinian medics, as well as providing ongoing support and training that they need and value.
Recent developments are very encouraging and in time should firmly place family medicine as an integral part of the Palestinian healthcare system, with the potential to address many of the country’s health needs now and in years to come.
If you would like to support our family medicine programme in the occupied Palestinian territory, please consider making a donation today.