Assalamu Alaikum WRWB

I want to convey my gratitude and profound regards to all those who expressed their sentiments and liked the first issue of newsletter of FIMA. We need your articles and reports to be published in the next issues.

During these weeks, we were busy in preparing reports for the UN ECOSOC; as FIMA is a standing member of this body and we plan to be more pro active and endeavor to join hands with other like minded groups in its fold especially in the areas of students camps, bioethics, humanitarian and medical relief.

The Padang (Sumatra) earthquake relief was also on our priority and an appeal was sent to all the IMA's by our relief coordinator Dr. Ashraf Jedaar. IMAM, IMANA, IIMA, MRA and MER-C Indonesia responded promptly. The magnitude and scale of devastation is huge and rehabilitation will take very long time. I appeal to all IMAs to extend their help to our Indonesian brothers at this time of need. Please contact Dr. Ashraf Jedaar.

Jazakallah.
Dr Parvaiz Malik
President, FIMA

I recently had the pleasure of attending the regional council meeting of the Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA) in Tampa, Florida on December 4 2009, with a CME presentation on the 5 for the Tampa IMANA chapter members. It was a great and informative meeting, and you can be assured that FIMA was a topic of discussion in many sessions. We all were in agreement that FIMA, as the largest medical international body, has a very important role to play in the future. The current IMANA leadership showed a great deal of interest in joining FIMA in various medical relief activities, as well as continuing the successful collaboration on joint conferences as we previously did in Morocco last year. Of note is also the fact that FIMA was first conceived of in Florida in 1981, and nearly 30 years later we have come around full circle.

Today, we have many projects and updates that I am happy to share with you. FIMA is currently planning a medical camp in Sudan from March 8 through the 13 in Khartoum and Darfur to treat cleft lips and v-v fistulas. A team of plastic surgeons and anesthesiologists will be traveling from the USA and general surgeons and urologists from Pakistan have already committed their time and efforts.

At this time, I would like to invite surgical specialists in these fields from other countries to join the camp. There is a dire need for these camps, not just in Sudan, but in many other countries as well, and whatever lessons we learn from Sudan we will be sure to apply it to other such projects. Details on this unique opportunity will be posted in the next issue.

At this time I would like to ask you all to kindly send a report of your IMA activities to be published in our FIMA e-newsletter. This is a unique vehicle to connect the world of Muslim physicians together, and we must take advantage of this opportunity.

Jazakamullah Khairun, until next time.

Dr. Parvaiz Malik,
FIMA President

A massive rather "unimaginable" earthquake struck Haiti on January 12th 2010. The Quake was the worst in the region in more than 200 years, and as many as 50,000 people are feared dead. The quake left the country in shables, without electricity or phone service, tangling efforts to provide relief.

Most medical facilities had been severely damaged, if not leveled. Supplies of food and fresh water were dwindling.

FIMA has a track record of responding quickly to help the destitute in case of such natural disasters and calamities. (The historic contribution of PIMA, IMANA, and other IMAs was witnessed during the 2005 earthquake in Kashmir / north West Frontier Province of Pakistan. But unfortunately owing to logistic constraints we are still uncertain as to what mechanism be evolved to extend our support to Haitians at this critical juncture.

We have already approached UN and WHo and offered the services of 200 trained doctors and Paramedics to be moved to the ground zero at a notice of 24-48 hours. We are awaiting the response. According to available information, the greatest needs include shelter, non-presihable food supplements, water-purification tablets, drinking water, health kits, kitchen kits, and various other emergency supplies. Medical relief has poured into Haiti with many field hospitals in haiti or on route to the country. Their greatest difficulties include internal transport and communication.

From what I gather, surgeons/orthopedic surgeons are always required but obstetricians/gynecologists and pediatricians are urgently needed in Haiti.

Various agencies have advised using Dominican Republic as an entry point. Dr. Irgan Galaria (IMANA) and our partners from DWW UK, DR. Kanwal Chaudhry and Dr. Najeeb Rehman have also reached Haiti.

Dr. Ismail mehad from IMANA relief is currently coordinating the overall relief activity on behalf of IMANA and FIMA. A group of doctors from Pakistan headed by FIMA secretary Dr. Tanveer Zubairi is ready for departure to join the IMANA relief team II. IMANA is continuously in touch with other governmental bodies, NGOs including Islamic Relief USA and congress men for coordination and mutual cooperation so as to make best use of our available manpower.

Dr Parvaiz Malik, President FIMA