Editorial
Focus on Quality - coming soon
Meet the Team


Use of antihypertensive medications: an Educational need in Saudi Primary Health Care

The Barriers of Breast Cancer Screening Programs Among PHHC Female Physicians

Clinical study of lipid profile in diabetic patients


Development of a Community- based Care System Model for Senior Citizens in Tehran


Past, Present and Future of Family Medicine in Bangladesh


The Effects of Breast Cancer Early Detection Training Program on the Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice of Female PHHC Physicians


Marine Animal Injuries to children in the South of Jordan


Infantile Dyskinesia and vitamin B12 Deficiency


Informatics in Clinical Practice Monitoring and Strategic Planning

 


Abdulrazak Abyad
MD, MPH, MBA, AGSF, AFCHSE

Editorial office:
Abyad Medical Center & Middle East Longevity Institute
Azmi Street, Abdo Center,
PO BOX 618
Tripoli, Lebanon

Phone: (961) 6-443684
Fax:     (961) 6-443685
Email:
aabyad@cyberia.net.lb

 
 

Lesley Pocock
medi+WORLD International
572 Burwood Road,
Hawthorn 3122
AUSTRALIA
Emai
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: lesleypocock

 


Meet the Team - Dr. Nabil Yasin Kurashi, MD. FFCM
President Saudi Society of Family Medicine, Saudi Arabia

 

Dr. Nabil Yasin Kurashi, MD. FFCM

President Saudi Society of Family Medicine,
Saudi Arabia


BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Nabil Yasin Kurashi, a Saudi national, was born on December 21, 1957 in Cairo. He took his M.B.B.S., and Fellowship in Family and Community Medicine in the College of Medical Sciences of King Faisal University in Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1984 and 1988.

His professional records and experience show valuable contributions to the Saudi and Arab medical field notably in Family and Community Medicine. He has wide experience in the teaching of Health Education, Geriatrics and Family Medicine.

He also published several scientific papers and articles as well as books in Family Medicine.

Dr. Kurashi is an Associate Professor and consultant (since 1997) of Family and Community Medicine of King Faisal University in Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

He was appointed as Assistant Professor and Consultant in 1988 to 1996 of the same.

He was was seconded to work for one year as General Supervisor of Al-Amal Hospital-Dammam, (a 300-bed Drug Addict Rehab Center), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in July 1992 to Feb 1993,

He also worked as Executive Hospital Director of King Fahd Specialist Hospital in Buraidah, Al-Qassim,(a 700-bed), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1990 to 1992

Regional Director of Medical Education and Research Centre of Al-Qassim, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Jan 1991 to Feb 1992,

Director of Medical Education and Research Centre of King Fahd Specialist Hospital-Buraidah, of Al-Qassim, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Jan 1991 to Feb 1992,

Coordinator of Emergency Medicine Unit of Planning and Development of King Fahd Hospital of the University of Al-Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Feb 1990 to Oct 1990,

Consultant and Clinical Director of Family Medicine in Al-Khobar Government Hospital Family and Community Medicine Clinic in Al-Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from May 1989 to Oct 1990,

Vice Chairman and Consultant of Arab Development Institute/ Health Development International in Al-Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from Sep 1995 to date,

Vice President and Consultant of Zamil Group of Companies for Medical Services in Al-Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from July 1992 to Sep1995.

Dr. Kurashi is an active member of: five government health committees (advisory board for Prince Mahmoud Ibn Fahd Center for Medical Researchers, steering group for Distance Education in Public Health in Arab World, Health Community in the Chamber of Commerce,

Founding Committee to establish Open University in Saudi Arabia, Abha, Medical College Examination Committee,

Vice Chairman of the Health Care Quality Management Committee in Eastern Province

nine scientific and professional societies and organizations (two of these societies he is a founding member: Saudi Society of Family and Community Medicine (currently he is also the President), and Arab Cancer Society), and four Professional Medical Journals as one of the members of their editorial boards.

He founded AlFaisal Medical Journal in 1978 and became its editor-in-chief in 1978 to 1983.

Dr. Kurashi is the Chairman of Founding Committee to establish Bahrain University for Science and Technology.

He is a recognized member and examiner of the Arab Medical Board and Egyptian Board for Family Medicine.

 

The Challenges of Family Medicine
Practice in the Arab World


ABSTRACT

Family Medicine is proved to be the most effective way to approach the mass population or the population as a whole and to cover every member of all the families in the community. The strategy of assigning a specific physician for each family is the key to the effective Primary health care services. The structure of family medicine practice requires that we carefully look to the definition of Family Medicine Practice of a Family Physician i.e. what are the functions and responsibilities of each What we need in the Arab World is the reengineering. I believe we have all the stones to build a strong family medicine dome. We have skillful builders or teams who will be able to restructure and build the family practice.

A Family Physician should be skillful, well-trained, well-equipped, well-paid and given the privilege to be professionals, innovative practitioners and not to be treated as an employee who will attend a specific time schedule. The Family Physician is the manager of the patient and of the family. The Family Physician is also capable of activating and mobilizing the establishment of Home Health Care to minimize the pressure in the hospital and initiative at home. Family Physician should be given the chance to manage their own staff. They can easily think of new concepts of EBM practice in their approach when in their treatments. It seems to me that we like to change and we are encountering lots of obstacles and problems.

It seems that the Family Physician's voice is weak to be heard by authority to let them speak out their minds. The government should carefully listen to their thought and complaints and to clearly clarify the reasons of unhappiness and dissatisfaction of the family doctors of the Arab World. We should really start to change the current set up of having the ordinary Health Care centers run by Ministry of Health or of Directorate of Health and instead to be given to the Family Physician so they can operate with freedom of all the programs. The Family Physician will be the one responsible for the upkeep of the Health Care Center even the cost of the team. There are examples of many countries that started the general practice ahead of us such as UK, Australia, Canada, Japan, and Finland can be considered as models in adapting. It is important that we should learn to give way to a qualified family physician. In most Arab countries, a physician who does not have a Family Medicine Degree and are MBBS holder with or without subspecialty and are recruited from various countries and appointed as General Practioners provides Primary Health Care. Practical solution for the current practice of Family Medicine in the Arab World will be discussed in this paper. I therefore recommend that we should think big, start small to see the operation of family medicine and act now and immediately.