|
|
History
of Family Medicine in Egypt by Dr. FATHI MAKLADY, MD, FRCP Professor of Cardiology, former dean and vice president of SCU Member of planning committee of the medical education section of the Supreme Council of Universities
In the late seventies, in early eighties there was a strong debate in Egypt about the reform in medical education, for that a conference was held in Al Fayoum governorate at that time attended by the leaders of medical education in different universities in Egypt together with ministry of health to diagnose the pitfalls of medical education and recommend the steps of reform.
At that mean time, Subsequently was the inception of the faculty of medicine ,Suez canal university (SCU was established in 1978 to upgrade that region which includes 5 governorates , Ismailia, Port Said , Suez , South and North Sinai as that region was deserted for a long time during the war) . The founder of the medical school spent four years in the planning of the mission and objectives of this particular medical school to be an innovative and respond to the Egyptian needs and to be compatible with the recommendation of the world federation of medical education.
One of the principles the founders put in consideration was to establish a family medicine department which was the first to be created in the Egyptian universities., the concept at that time was not known and recognized by the medical schools, they sent a post graduate students to the united kingdom to have a degree in family medicine at the mean time they hired some expertise in the family medicine to establish the department from united states and united kingdom.
The idea was not supported neither by the medical schools nor by the ministry of health until the time Dr. ISMAIL SALLAM came as minister of health in Egypt in 1996 , he was a futurist and not traditional person and he has an ambition to have a health reform of Egypt during his period .One of the important aspects of health reform is to strengthen the primary health care service on scientific and standard basis putting in consideration that primary health care is the proper gate for improving the health care system , he established this concept through: a- Collaboration between the ministry of health and family medicine department at SCU b- Creating many health care units all over Egypt particularly in rural areas and under-serviced locations which applies the concept of family medicine as regard the health records, the database and referral system and many of them were electronically operated, so good connections between these primary health care sites , secondary and tertiary health care hospitals c- He sent many doctors from the ministry of health to have training on family medicine at different parts of the world included UK and USA d- What is most important, he established the Egyptian board of family medicine with a formal curriculum and training
equivalent to the Royal College in England and American board.
|
Reform
The family is the cornerstone of the Egyptian society. The cornerstone of Egypt’s new health care model is Family Medicine. The holistic medical approach and integrated health care system (pediatrics, reproductive and adult medicine) increases the likelihood that preventive and early intervention care will reach those who need it most like in the cases of maternal and child health. The Family Medicine te3am better serves clients with young children or limited time and resources to spend on travel to different places because several family members can obtain different types of care during one visit.