The University and the Ministry of Health Agree to Implement a Number of Health Projects
08 September 2010
September 8th 2010. The University President, Prof. Rami Hamdallah, received in his office at the Old Campus the Palestinian Minister of Health, Dr. Fathi Abu Moghli, as part of the long cooperation and close relationships that the University holds with the Ministry of Health. Attendees included: Professor Anwar Dudin, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University, Dr. Samar Ghazal, Vice Dean at the Faculty of Medicine as well as a number of instructors and professors.
Other attendees included Dr. Munther Al-Sharif, Secretary General of the Palestinian Medical Council, in addition to a delegation from the Ministry of Health represented by Dr. Naeem Sabra, Director of Directorate General of Hospitals in Palestine, Dr. Qasem M'ani, Director of the International Cooperation Unit and Dr. Tareq Al-Ramahi, Coordinator of the Non-communicable Diseases Project at the Ministry.
In the meeting, Prof. Hamdallah welcomed the guests and appreciated their visit and the role that the Ministry of Health plays to develop the health sector in Palestine. He also emphasized that cooperation between the University and the Ministry is of a substantial importance to the development of the Palestinian individual in terms of education and health.
Dr. Abu Moghli also stressed the importance of such cooperation between the two institutions. Education and health are key elements in any society and are considered priorities in the life of any individual. He explained that through this exchange of experience and programs between the University and the Ministry of Health the Ministry will be able to attract graduates and employ them which would support the health sector further, while the University takes the chance to provide its students with training programs at the different medical institutions in the country. It is a mutual benefit through which the University equips the medical sector with qualified cadres while this sector in turn provides the University's students with a chance to be involved in a practical training that would expand their knowledge and enhance their skills.
During the meeting also, the two sides agreed on establishing the Family Health major at the University which will be introduced soon. The new program was a result of cooperation between the Ministry of Health and the Palestinian Medical Council. The Family Health program will join the other programs that the Faculty of Medicine already has. The participants also discussed the new emergency program that the Ministry of Health has started to implement in three different medical centers in Palestine. The program is being supported by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the University of Lille in France.
Furthermore, the two sides agreed on the establishment of a training program on the rational use and consumption of drugs which is a basic part of the Ministry's plan to develop the process of drug storing, distribution and use in Palestine. The University has already given the Ministry a piece of land as a donation on which to build modern and advanced medical warehouses. The project is under construction and once opened, the University will handle the training of the employees there.
The University and the Ministry have also agreed on establishing joint training programs for the University students on various medical fields such as training on chronic diseases. Regarding cooperation between the University and the Ministry of Health with respect to the new Teaching Hospital, the two sides agreed upon a number of plans that would enhance this cooperation which would finally bring this hospital to life. This project is one of the most important projects in the country and a good example of the kind of cooperation that A-Najah holds with the Ministry of Health that aim to enhance the quality of medical services offered to the people.
