4 November 2016
Medical Aid for Palestinians’ exciting new Family Medicine Programme in the occupied Palestinian territory took another step forward this month, with a workshop hosted by the Palestinian Association of Family Medicine (PAFM) in Ramallah.
The family medicine model of primary healthcare seeks to provide integrated, patient-centred care for patients of all ages and their families. Family medicine practitioners support patients to manage illness and disease at any age.
Adapting the Palestinian primary healthcare system to the family medicine model could help address the problems it faces with an ageing population and rising rates of non-communicable diseases such as hypertension and diabetes. Heart disease and stroke are the main causes of death among Palestinian adults, and approximately 12% of adults have diabetes (compared to roughly 5% in the UK).
MAP is supporting PAFM in order to raise the profile of family medicine in Palestine, educate patients and other health professionals, and represent the specialty in discussions with the Ministry of Health and Palestine Medical Council.
At this month’s workshop in Ramallah, Dr Asad Al Ramlawi, the Deputy Palestinian Minister of Health, thanked PAFM for its enthusiasm and continuous support to develop family medicine in the West Bank. He introduced the trainees chosen by the Ministry who have recently joined the family medicine training programme at An Najah National University in Nablus.
In her welcoming speech, family medicine specialist Dr. Samar Musmar gave a short lecture about family medicine around the world explaining its challenges and differences between countries.
Attendees also heard from President of PAFM, Dr. Mohammad Al Rab’i, who spoke about the growing partnership between the Palestinian Ministry of Health, MAP, PAFM, and the Medical Union, and expressed deep gratitude to MAP for its support.
MAP’s Director of Programmes in the West Bank, Mira al Mukarker, emphasised the importance of this cooperation to meeting the urgent needs of Palestinian patients, and developing the national health system in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Mr. Saeed Ishtayeh, representative of the Medical Union, added that the Family Medicine Association is the 20th specialised association in the West Bank hoping it will develop and succeed in improving the national health system.
In attendance at the workshop were also Dr. Nitham Najeeb, and 25 family medicine specialists from the Ministry of Health and students at An-Najah National University.
To support MAP's work in Palestine, please consider making a donation today.