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Association
of Afghan Healthcare Professionals-UK
Media Office
Press Release 19th April
2011
Contact:
aahp.media@gmail.com
Afghan Healthcare Professionals Get-together, 26th March
2011, LONDON
By Dr
Khesrow Sangarwal
On 26th March 2011, a
large number of Afghan Healthcare Professionals got together in Osterley Park Hotel, London, and laid the foundation of
the Association of Afghan Healthcare Professionals-UK. The meeting was attended
by over fifty healthcare professionals from all range of specialist professions
including Pharmacy, Dentistry, Nursing, Radiography, Physiotherapy and
Medicine.
The meeting was opened with verses from the holy Qur’an
recited by Dr Wahdati.
The day consisted of a morning of speeches and presentations
by various attending speakers, and an afternoon of law making, administrative
work and election. At the beginning of the morning session, the Code of Conduct
for the meeting was outlined by Mr Dost Muhammad and a young and bright Afghan
girl Ms Summaya. The meeting was chaired by Dr Abdulwahab Ghani and Dr Khesrow
Sangarwal.
The opening speaker was Dr Amanullah Shams, one of
the main organisers of the 26th March get-together. In his ten minutes long
presentation, Dr Shams spoke about the need for having an organised association
of Afghan professionals who work in healthcare sector in the United Kingdom. He
explored the potential avenues where Afghan doctors and other healthcare
professionals can cooperate and make a difference to their career, and the
wider world.
The following speakers were Ms Tamanna Rahimi and Ms
Zohal, the prospective doctors who spoke about medical career in the UK. Many
found the presentation very useful as a good source of information for Afghan
parents and Sixth Form students.
The gathering was also addressed by DR Sakha, a senior
Afghan Psychiatrist who advised the Afghan healthcare professionals on the need
for unity, and service for their profession and the country. Dr Sakha added:
“Afghan doctors should learn from the missed opportunities, and start working
for their noble intentions.” Dr Qudratullah, the next speaker described the
challenges posed to Afghan doctors from graduation to registration, and the
ways to tackle the obstacles in the rout to successful registration in the
United Kingdom.
Dr Khalil Wahdati, and Mr Asif Roudwal were the other
speakers in the meeting who spoke about postgraduate medical education, and
disability in Afghanistan respectively. The closing speech of the morning
session was that of Dr Abdul Hameed Latifi who intended to talk about the
medical challenges in Afghanistan. The speech took an emotional turn when Dr
Latifi started to describe the exceptionally high mortality rates in
Afghanistan. Dr Latifi could not resist the high emotions associated with the
tragic figures, and could not finish his presentation, which was completed by
Dr Shams.
All the attending professionals discussed the need for
establishing an effective and transparent association, which will not only
coordinate and enhance clinical and academic cooperation among Afghan
healthcare professionals in the United Kingdom, it will explore and work in
potential underachieving clinical and academic areas in Afghanistan. These
discussions took place in formal and informal manner through out the morning
session. The consensus was to go ahead with the establishment of such an
organisation that can reflect the decent intentions of all Afghan healthcare
professionals in the UK.
The afternoon session started with an hour of lunch break
and an opportunity of new Lemariz year (Nawrooz) greetings. The participants
had to work hard due to shortage of time, and discuss the prospective
constitution of the potential association. The participants had to work against
the clock, and critique, amend and analyse the constitution, and approve it
with a two third majority. Among the approved articles of the constitution was
the name of the association, the Association of Afghan Healthcare
Professional-UK.
The approved constitution foresees, among other aspects,
the structure, finance, administration, and election proceedings of the
Organisation.
Following a lengthy discussion and approval of the
constitution of the Association of Afghan Healthcare Professionals-UK, the rest
of the meeting was governed by the articles of the constitution. The
constitution required the election of a chairperson, and the managing
committee. An independent board of election that consisted of Dr Sakha, Dr
Rahim, the medical students Tamana and Zohal volunteered to oversee the proceedings
of the election.
The candidates standing for the post of the chairperson
were Dr Homayun Shahpesandy, Consultant Psychiatrist, and DR Amanullah Shams,
Specialist Registrar in Gastroenterology. The candidates gave a five minutes
speech to the general members in order to win their votes. The votes were
counted by the Election Board, and Dr Amanullah Shams was announced as the
winner of the contest for the post of the chairperson.
The electing session was completed with the election
of the managing committee. The elected committee consisted of Dr Qudratullah,
Dr Anna Sharif, Dr Homayun Shahpesandy, Dr Hameed Shuja, Dr Abdul Hameed
Latifi, Mr Dost Muhammad, Dr Abdulwahab Ghani and Dr Khesrow
Sangarwal.
A significant part of the afternoon session was
dominated by a heated discussion regarding the importance of unity among the
Afghan healthcare professionals in the country. Numerous participants of the
meeting, who attended the afternoon session as individuals, challenged the
creation of a new association. They described the achievements of other medical
groups, and argued against the need for establishment of a new association.
While most of the participants of the meeting appreciated the achievements of
individuals and groups in serving the healthcare professionals in the United
Kingdom, they unanimously voted for the establishment of the Association of
Afghan Healthcare Professionals-UK. The elected committee vowed to take
necessary steps towards the unity of Afghan healthcare professionals in the United
Kingdom.
The gathering was closed at 18:30 with the wish of success
for the Association of Afghan Healthcare Professionals-UK.
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