Delegation Visit to Palestine – 17-21 May 2017
A major educational event was organised by TPFS in collaboration with the Palestine Ministry of Health from 17 to 21 May, 2017. This took place along with the 6th Palestinian National Thalassemia Conference but with educational sessions for health professionals focusing on multidisciplinary care.
A strong delegation team from TIF included the following:
- Dr Michael Angastiniotis, TIF Medical Advisor, Nicosia, Cyprus;
- Mr Riyad Elbard, TIF Treasurer, President of Thalassaemia Foundation of Canada, Canada;
- Dr Dimitrios Farmakis, Cardiologist, Athens, Greece;
- Dr Farrukh Shah, Haematologist, London, UK;
- Mr Anton Skafi, TIF Board Member, Nicosia, Cyprus.
- Dr Farrukh Shah, Haematologist, London, UK;
The Ministry is opening 4 new thalassaemia centres across Palestine, and the purpose of the educational event was to prepare the staff of these centres.
As a follow up to this short training TIF has organised a workshop for 4 physicians in Cyprus, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Cyprus Thalassaemia Services, from October 23rd to November 3rd 2017.
This preceptorship covered the whole spectrum of thalassaemia services, directed for preventing but mainly for patient care services. Speakers in this course were invited from Italy (Prof MD Cappellini), the UK (Dr Perla Eleftheriou), Greece (Dr Dimitrios Farmakis and Dr Dimitrios Kountouras). These international experts supported the local experts from the thalassaemia centres of Cyprus. The Palestinian doctors were joined by a group of Maldivian doctors (see below).
Based on this very interactive preceptorship, and with the collaboration of the Ministry of Palestine, an important deficiency in the services for thalassaemia patients will be filled with renewed hope for the ageing patient population of the country.
Visit Report
