On April 8^th, An-Najah hosted the Third Scientific Day for the Laboratory Medicine Association which was organized in coordination with the Faculty of Science at the University and under the sponsorship of Nablus Company for Medical Supplies.

Attendees included Dr. Khalil Sulaiman, Dean of the Faculty of Science, Dr. Majdi Dwaikat, Head of the Medical Tests Department at the Faculty, Dr. Kamal Al-Wazani, Director of the Permission and Licensing Unit at the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Osama An-Najjar, Chief of Laboratory Medicine in Palestine, in addition to members of the Association and students from the Medical Tests Department.

First, Mr. Fayez Al-Zagha, Coordinator of the Scientific Committee, welcomed the attendants and appreciated their interest in the event. Dr. Sulaiman said that the University exerts efforts to support the Laboratory Medicine Association and the joint continuing education programs between the Association and the University. He also called for continuing such scientific activities so as to provide the Palestinian people with the best services possible.

An-Najjar spoke about the dialogue between the Association and the medical associations on one hand and the Ministry of Health on the other; he also called upon the private sector to improve the workers’ conditions and give them risk allowance.

The conference consisted of a number of sessions in which several work papers were presented by the participants. An-Najjar presented a paper in which he spoke about the graphs that are produced by the blood testing devices which can be used to analyze results, diagnose and follow up on the conditions of the patients by the doctors.

Dr. Bashar Al-Karmi spoke in his presentation about the results of a field study on pregnant women and the immunity that are acquired by measles vaccine. Dr. Hisam Na’na’ spoke about the coagulation process in the human body, the expected problems among pregnant women, as well as the medical tests that are required for diagnosis and follow up. Dr. Ismael Al-Masri spoke in his lecture about the relationship between the Vitamin B12 deficiency and mercury dental fillings.

In the second session Dr. Adham Abu Taha spoke about the expected medical errors, their types and how to identify each type in order to identify its source. Dr. Amjad Izz El-Dein spoke about a type of parasites that attacks the eye and stressed the importance of washing the contact lenses carefully before using them.

The participants came up with a number of recommendations including: the necessity to continue holding such scientific days and specialized scientific workshops, as well as lectures that are related to laboratory tests.