M'SIAN SPECIALISTS TO CONDUCT COURSE FOR PALESTINIAN DOCTORS

From Syed Azwan Syed Ali

GAZA (Palestine), Aug 13 (Bernama) -- Medical specialists in the Malaysian humanitarian aid mission now in Gaza are to conduct a two-day basic laboratory skills training for 60 Palestinian doctors beginning Saturday.

The training, to be conducted by a group of doctors led by emergency
specialist Dr Rishya Manikam of the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC),
will be held at the Al-Amal Hospital for 30 doctors and at the Al-Quds Hospital
for the other 30.

Dr Rishya said the course, from 9am to 4pm, would cover training in Advanced
Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Focused Abdominal Sonography for Trauma (FAST) and
Trauma Life Support.

He said he found that doctors at the Khan Younis Hospital, where he and nine
other doctors of the group were stationed, did not know how to use the
mannequins donated to them for use in emergency and trauma.

He also said that the guidelines in use were outdated.

"The mannequins they have are mostly of the advanced type from Germany but
many of them are in the store. We decided to conduct the laboratory skills
training after getting the approval of Dr Wael, director of the Khan Younis
Hospital," he said.

Dr Rishya is among the 35 doctors who have joined the mission, organised by
the Putera 1Malaysia Club in collaboration with the Malaysian Red Crescent
Society, for two weeks beginning Aug 8.

Besides stationing the Malaysian volunteer doctors in hospitals and clinics
in the region of conflict, the humanitarian mission headed by Putera 1Malaysia
Club president Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim is also distributing food,
clothing, blankets and medicine to 2,000 families in several settlements in
Gaza.

Gaza is facing a long-term humanitarian crisis after the Israeli Zionist
regime closed the border crossings more than 18 months ago, leaving half of the
1.5 million population dependent on external aid to eke out a living.
-- BERNAMA