From the beautifully lit city of Bethlehem, the Golden Dome of Jerusalem, the ramparts of the old city and the ancient markets of Nablus I write to you.
Life here is vibrant and colourful. However, as we know, after scratching the surface matters are much more complex and arduous.
Visiting the 2 medical schools in the West Bank, Al Quds and An Najah exposes the shortage of staff and the resource stretch in teaching facilities. The main Palestinian hospitals in Jerusalem, Hebron and Ramallah are at breaking point. The demand is huge and the financial resources are very limited.
Despite all this there is a strong sense of determination and optimism. Talent is abundant and so are the brains. I met 2 of our ‘alumni’ over the last 2 days. Naji Mousa and Bashar Jaber are 2 recipients of FQMS postgraduate training support, now proudly playing significant roles in treatment of female cancers and colon cancer respectively. FQMS continues to support medical education here.
On a sad note I, and the wider FQMS family, mourn a wonderful man and supporter of Palestinian medical education, John Beavis. John passed away a few days ago. He took me on my first trip to Palestine in 2011 and held my hand as I fretted about going through Israeli immigration in Tel Aviv. John is not a man to be forgotten.
The FQMS annual gala is on the 23rd March 2019. We decided to move it to a Saturday and hope that you will enjoy it more being rested rather than exhausted after a week at work. I hope you’ll join us. We can’t stress enough how even a £10 donation adds up to a significant amount.
Please keep your generosity going and send us any donations, however large or small, even in advance of the dinner.
See you on the 23rd March.
Khaled Dawas FRCS
Chairman of Board of Trustees
