Education In Gaza - Update

Today via a crackling skype connection to Gaza, I spoke with Paul Wicker - Professor of Education at Edge Hill University, Manchester.

Paul is part of the MiST team firmly establishing new standards through education and capacity building in Gaza. He expected to encounter the effects of guns, trouble, social problems, but instead encountered incredibly friendly people, deprivation and lack of resources.

"The people of Gaza have tremendous communal spirit, they are nice and helpful people. They are incredibly grateful for our help and willing to listen and learn."

The team have spent much of their time at The European Hospital in the South of the Strip. The hospital has adequate equipment and medical resources in place. Perhaps not to the standard of Western hospitals, but good for a country where simple products like food, clothing, tools to build a home are scarce.

However, throughout the hospital, including in theatre, there are no policies, protocol or procedures - no standardisation. Even equipment, arrived from a number of different countries, creates problems with consistency.

The transformation of a countries medical system is unquestionably, a massive task.

Some issues can be resolved quickly with short skills courses.

• Rubbish is strewn in an environment we should expect extreme cleanliness.
• There are no swab checks - during one operation 50 swabs may be used, it is standard in the UK to count these swaps before and after surgery. It would be incredibly easy for these small swabs to remain in the patients body potentially causing serious infection.
• There is no counting of tools either, it is possible these too could be lost within a limb.

"Basic health & safety would greatly reduce risks of injury and infection."

Offering The Best In Education

One of the educational techniques within the MiST programme, is the Video Conference. This Wednesday, 2 lecturers at Edge Hill University lead a talk on airway management to a room of medical students in Gaza. After an hour which included Q&A across the countries, the MiST team in Gaza followed up with a practical, hands-on workshop.

This technique combines expertise from those in the UK (or anywhere globally) and those able to take often unpaid time out to help a country in great need.

Author: Alice Hutt (mediamist@gmail.com)

The Wonders Of Naya Qadam

Here are two short films Courtesy of Naya Qadam Trust - showing the splendour of regaining a healthy body.
The artificial prosthesis utilising the 'Jaipur Foot' - which unlike Western prosthesis enables the patient to squat, walk barefoot and travel through mountainous terrain.

The following fellow was able to work as a postman with his new leg, enabling him to support his family and school his children.

MiST have worked in partnership with Naya Qadam Trust since the Pakistan earthquake in 2005.
The artificial limbs are remarkably cheap to produce and made of materials which are easy to source - even in rural, mountainous Pakistan.

MiST Education Programme In Gaza

MiST are proud to announce that our Medical Education Programme in Gaza is up and running.

MiST Director, Dr. Sohail Khan has full backing from the Minister of Health in Gaza, and our plans are set to transform the local health care system.

Currently those in need of limb care and other specialist treatment must travel out of Gaza to Jordan, Egypt, Israel even Sweden - patients are fortunate to secure visas and follow up care is non-existent.

Our plan involves setting up an education centre within the European Gaza Hospital. Working in partnership with Edge Hill Hospital, Manchester and Islamic University of Gaza with funding from the Qatari Red Crescent and Human Appeal International.

British doctors will be teaching modules for individualised diploma programmes utilising e-learning, local mentors, regular assessments and tutorials. Each month a MiST surgeon with Orthopaedic sub-speciality interest will work with students and patients in theatre practice.
And because we are able to work in partnerships, MiST can offer transformative limb construction for £40 not £4000 with follow-up care.

The aim is to train local surgeons in a speciality and they in turn will act as mentors for other junior surgeons across the Gaza Strip.
Eventually Gaza will be able to supply its' own specialist limb care in local Trauma Centres. Once in place, these Trauma Centres will be the only recognised Limb Reconstruction Units in the Middle East!

It is not improbable to expect a flood of visa applications to access Gazas' new and promising skill base.

Haiti Photo Montage