IMI Arbaeen Medical Mission Webinar

The topic of this webinar was Imamia Medics International’s work during Arbaeen for the past 11 years. The webinar highlights the evolution of Annual Arbaeen Mission as to how it started with 9 delegates looking 4000 patients in 2009 having one camp and now to three camps (including dental and eye care) with 150 delegates looking over 100,000 patients in Najaf and Karbala for the past 11 years.

This webinar was held on 11th July, 2020. It was moderated by Ms. Naila Ali (National Youth Coordinator of IMI Youth Wing) and the guest speaker was Dr. Qasim Jaffry. Dr Jaffry, a graduate (MBBS) of Karachi University, is currently a consultant Urologist in Ireland. He is the Global Coordinator of IMI Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission for the past decade and a key member of IMI Ireland.

@35:42 He shared the key personel needed to run the camp, without them it is very difficult: Translators, local nurses, Ataba Abbasiya and Hussainiya and their helpers, and medical students from local colleges from Hilla and Kufa.

@45:42 Dr. Jaffry shared how the Arbaeen Medical camps run 24 hours and shared some glimpses of the camp.

@53:50 he first shared graph of Annual Provision of Medical Care by Events. Annual Arbaeen Medical Mission is the highest. He then discussed about the statistics of the 11 years of the Arbaeen Mission including country-wise patients rate to gender to age graph. Dr Jaffry shared the common disease rate as to which was highly faced to the lowest at the camps. He also shared the cost breakdown of medicine and donations. Dr. Jaffry also highlighted the services done other than Medical camps which include training and conducting workshops for the Iraqi students and donation of medicines and medical equipment.

At @1:04:10, the webinar was concluded on the lessons learned and the services and what further betterment can be done for Iraqi people. Dr Jaffry discussed the current situation and what will be the measures during this COVID’19. Some of the agenda points are as follows:

1. EMR (Electronic Medical Records)—With the help of Ms. Sakina Rizvi, the first EMR service in Iraq was achieved in which the patients are first registered by the administration and that was then passed to doctors or whoever sees the patients through the wireless technology as soon as they are registered and now we are trying to modify it for complete different situation.
2. Modular Field Hospitals—places in Iraq are very limited where we can work and he shared different designs.
3. Incident Control and Command System –He shared that we have already give them the workshop and training by Dr Mehdi Rizvi by the name ‘Disaster Management Training’ after what happened last year (2019) so as it should not repeat and the situation could be handled without losing lives.
4. Specific small fast tract train and ambulance system FTAS – This is also proposed because of densely populated area and in Arbaeen it is difficult to see the land even with so many people so to avoid traffic it is good and possible too.
5. Drone surveillance and ambulances – This is very important for Incident Control Command system and to help people having cardiac arrest as technology has moved so fast that it is possible.
6. PCI and Urgent care 24 hours’ field hospital –PCIs and doing vascular laboratories there to save people’s lives after doing Cardiac Cath lab and there are modular Cardiac Cath labs.
7. ER level provisions – we plan to give them the option of trauma center with the level 1, 2 and 3 and also proposed that at least we will be able to provide them service with level 2.
8. Flawless provision of medicines – We have three directions of medical flow – from Iran, from Iraq (local purchase) and from Pakistan. We are insuring that if we get local support we can kept the flawless medication flow
9. Triage system
10. Screening provision of different disease – In this we are proposing:
    • One stop Hematuria clinic
    • Metabolic syndrome (CVS, obesity and diabetes)
    • FOB testing
    • PSA testing
    • PAP smear
    • Mammography
    • Colonoscopy
11. Proper system of standardization of care with formation of AMA Arbaeen Medical Authority – implementation of protocols, guidelines and standardization across the board is very important example in use of antibiotics proper standardization should be followed.
12. Proper screening of doctors – We normally do the interview with ethical committee following up with all the delegates coming over.

@ 1:15:44 He did Urgent appeal for three things – to participate in this Arbaeen Mission, urgent need in Iraq for medical resources and training the medical staff for this COVID-19 and third your support needed in form of donations for this year Arbaeen Medical Mission as this year lot of resources needed in COVID’19 situation. We are planning this year for medical mission but on a very limited scale; limiting delegates to 50-60 maximum due to the situation this year as earlier we use to take 120-140 delegates but this it is not possible.

The webinar ended with the question answer session which started @1:18:10 and were mainly focused on COVID’19 and Annual Arbaeen Mission this year. The questions and their answers are as follow:

Q1. In view of Coronavirus what is going to happen this year? If we happen to organize a camp this year are we going to have testing facility for COVID’19? Could you also elaborate the situation of COVID’19 and preventive measures taken by Iraq government and Attabas during Arbaeen?

Ans.

• Arbaeen camp will that happen? Yes it will for sure. The reason is that all the shahadats of our Imams a.s recently Imam Jawwad a.s and others there were approximately 1million people who went over despite COVID’19 scare and situation, so the locals will definitely come and no one will be able to stop them. Now, will Iraq government allow people to come from outside to come over same as Saudi Arabia who hasn’t allowed people from outside and only the locals are allowed so I think the Iraq government will do the same and will not allow people from outside but only the locals. Some people will try to go through source maybe by Iran. People are working towards it but 90% chances are Iraq government will not allow outsiders.
• Now will the delegates be allowed? We are hoping are optimistic that they will allow and let us serve because they will need medical camps to control the situation over there.
• Will we have medical camp? Yes, we will have but this time only one in Karbala only and will not do Najaf camp and also we’ll restrict it to 60 people.
• COVID testing? Yes, we will probably bring our own COVID testing to test not only the delegates but also patients (zawwars) having symptoms. We will have full PPE availability to cover ourselves when we go over there to work and serve during the camps.

Q2. How are the logistics managed and the basic drugs that are provided at camps and any other lessons learned from the camps?

Ans. The logistics are we are going to buy the medicines locally from there only, but we need to get lots of funds for it. At the same time, we are going to get donation from the Wilshire, one of the Pakistan companies who is donating us for last three years and they are going to donate this year also and we are going to get it mobilized. For PPE, full gear, masks we are working for it to get it at best price and good quality also because we cannot compromise on the safety of our doctors. Also IMI has given an appeal for donations needed in Iraq this time. Our first patch of 15,000 N95 masks for the medical personnel in Iraq are on the way and hopefully it will reach in few days to them. This is the first phase and the second phase will be to send full PPE gear, gown etc. and the third phase will be to send them the equipment they need.

Q3. When are the applications going to get open? Whether you will accept only doctor’s application or medic students? What will be the duration of camps?

Ans. Duration of the camps will be two weeks. Dr. Qasim says he’s working with Miss Sakina Rizvi and soon it will be advertised but this time there will be different criteria that people over certain age will not be able to go and people having pre-existing conditions will unfortunately not be able to go.