FIMA EXCO semi-annual meeting was held in Istanbul, Turkey on march 10-11 2012. Our Turkish member Hayat Foundation was very gracious to host the event. Dr. Ihsan Karaman wears several hats e.g. Vice President FIMA, President Hayat Foundation and Chairman of the Board of Doctors World Wide-Turkey. His team did a wonderful job arranging the event which included a mini symposium on "Organ Transplantation From Ethical, Islamic and Social Perspective".
Several FIMA executives and local educators participated. The meeting was held at HF office and we were given a tour of DWW-Turkey office. The entire committee was in attendance and several FIMA matters were discussed. Now we are looking forward to the 29th annual FIMA Council meeting in September and the detailed schedule is included in this issue. IMA of Malaysia promises a memorable convention.
I encourage you all to attend and participate as a speaker also. A few slots are still open in the speakers list. The presentations will be published in the next FIMA Year Book of 2012.
We are working progressively on the medical relief front. Prior to Istanbul FIMA EXCO meeting, I was in Khartoum, Sudan with the FIMA SaveSmile team of 20 from Islamic Medical Association of North America (IMANA) and we performed 158 cleft lip and palate repair operations, bringing the total to 500. Sudan Islamic Medical Association (SIMA) organized and hosted the camp.
DWW Turkey is planning cleft lip camp in Gaza, Palestine in coming June and FIMA SaveVision has completed more than 85,000 free cataract and related surgeries and have scheduled their next camp in Africa in June and July this year.
FIMA SaveDignity team headed by Dr. Iqbal Khan and Dr. Aftab Malik of Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) held their camp in Zuleenja, Sudan in March 2012 and performed twenty complicated surgeries.
FIMA / IMANA / Islamic Relief project in Mogadishu, Somalia had to be aborted after one month of medical services by Pakistan IMA due to the deteriorating security situation in the city. However, Hayat Foundation and Doctors World Wide-Turkey are now fully operational in Mogadishu in spide of the dangerous security threats to the medical relief workers.
They built and now operate the Shifa Hospital and are providing medical and nutritional help to the tragic draught stricken population of Somalia. Our member organization Somalian Young Doctors' Association (SOYDA) is actively working with them.
Dr. Omar AlHayat of Egypt IMA/AMU and FIMA EXCO member had busy past 6 months. He visited Mogadishu, Somalia twice and made working visits to Gaza, Palestine. He also went to assess and provide medical relief to the victims of Syrian armed forces who have killed thousands and injured tens of thousands civilians in the current up rising. He went to the Syrian borders with Jordan and Lebanon.
The current situation in Syria remains serious. IMANA recently donated $50,000 to the Syrian cause through the Hayat Foundation of Turkey and IMA of Lebanon purchased two ambulances to transport the injured in Syrian towns of Homs and other surrounding areas who are having a great difficulty in reaching Lebanon for the emergency treatments.
FIMA e-Newsletter will be featuring dedicated issues to our member IMA's. Please send a detailed report on the current leadership and activities of your IMA. It is a great tool to communicate with the world medical communities.
Dr. Parvaiz Malik
President FIMA 2009-2013
