DR. Nabil M.
Y. Kurashi, MD, FFCM
President, Saudi Society of
Family Medicine Saudi Aarabia
Dr. Nabil Yasin Kurashi, a Saudi
national, was born on December 21, 1957 in Cairo. He took his
M.B.B.S., and Fellowship in Family and Community Medicine in
the College of Medical Sciences of King Faisal University in
Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1984 and 1988. His professional
records and experience show valuable contributions to the Saudi
and Arab medical field notably in Family and Community Medicine.
He has wide experience in the teaching of Health Education,
Geriatrics and Family Medicine. He also published several scientific
papers and articles as well as books in Family Medicine. Dr.
Kurashi is an Associate Professor and consultant (since 1997)
of Family and Community Medicine of King Faisal University in
Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He was appointed as Assistant
Professor and Consultant in 1988 to 1996 of the same. He was
was seconded to work for one year as General Supervisor of Al-Amal
Hospital-Dammam, (a 300-bed Drug Addict Rehab Center), Kingdom
of Saudi Arabia in July 1992 to Feb 1993. He also worked as
Executive Hospital Director of King Fahd Specialist Hospital
in Buraidah, Al-Qassim,(a 700-bed), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
in 1990 to 1992, Regional Director of Medical Education and
Research Centre of Al-Qassim, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Jan
1991 to Feb 1992, Director of Medical Education and Research
Centre of King Fahd Specialist Hospital-Buraidah, of Al-Qassim,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Jan 1991 to Feb 1992, Coordinator
of Emergency Medicine Unit of Planning and Development of King
Fahd Hospital of the University of Al-Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia in Feb 1990 to Oct 1990, Consultant and Clinical Director
of Family Medicine in Al-Khobar Government Hospital Family and
Community Medicine Clinic in Al-Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
from May 1989 to Oct 1990, Vice Chairman and Consultant of Arab
Development Institute/ Health Development International in Al-Khobar,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from Sep 1995 to date, Vice President
and Consultant of Zamil Group of Companies for Medical Services
in Al-Khobar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from July 1992 to Sep1995.
Dr. Kurashi is an active member of: five government health committees
(advisory board for Prince Mahmoud Ibn Fahd Center for Medical
Researchers, steering group for Distance Education in Public
Health in Arab World, Health Community in the Chamber of Commerce,
Founding Committee to establish Open University in Saudi Arabia,
Abha, Medical College Examination Committee, and Vice Chairman
of the Health Care Quality Management Committee in Eastern Province,
nine scientific and professional societies and organizations
(two of these societies he is a founding member: Saudi Society
of Family and Community Medicine (currently he is also the President),
and Arab Cancer Society), and four Professional Medical Journals
as one of the members of their editorial boards. He founded
AlFaisal Medical Journal in 1978 and became its editor-in-chief
in 1978 to 1983. Dr. Kurashi is the Chairman of Founding Committee
to establish Bahrain University for Science and Technology.
He is a recognized member and examiner of the Arab Medical Board
and Egyptian Board for Family Medicine.
The Challenges of Family Medicine Practice
in the Arab World
Author:
DR. Nabil M. Y. Kurashi, MD, FFCM
Abstract:
Family Medicine is proven to be the
most effective way to approach the mass population or the population
as a whole and to cover every member of all the families in
the community. The strategy of assigning a specific physician
for each family is the key to the effective Primary health care
services. The structure of family medicine practice requires
that we carefully look to the definition of Family Medicine
Practice of a Family Physician i.e. what are the functions and
responsibilities of each. What we need in the Arab World is
the reengineering. I believe we have all the stones to build
a strong family medicine dome. We have skillful builders or
teams who will be able to restructure and build the family practice.
A Family Physician should be skillful, well-trained, well-equipped,
well-paid and given the privilege to be professionals, innovative
practitioners and not to be treated as an employee who will
attend a specific time schedule. The Family Physician is the
manager of the patient and of the family. The Family Physician
is also capable of activating and mobilizing the establishment
of Home Health Care to minimize the pressure in the hospital
and initiative at home. Family Physician should be given the
chance to manage their own staff. They can easily think of new
concepts of EBM practice in their approach when in their treatments.
It seems to me that we like to change and we are encountering
lots of obstacles and problems. It seems that the Family Physician's
voice is weak to be heard by authority to let them speak out
their minds. The government should carefully listen to their
thought and complaints and to clearly clarify the reasons of
unhappiness and dissatisfaction of the family doctors of the
Arab World. We should really start to change the current set
up of having the ordinary Health Care centers run by Ministry
of Health or of Directorate of Health and instead to be given
to the Family Physician so they can operate with freedom of
all the programs. The Family Physician will be the one responsible
for the upkeep of the Health Care Center even the cost of the
team. There are examples of many countries that started the
general practice ahead of us such as UK, Australia, Canada,
Japan, and Finland can be considered as models in adapting.
It is important that we should learn to give way to a qualified
family physician. In most Arab countries, a physician who does
not have a Family Medicine Degree and are MBBS holder with or
without subspecialty and are recruited from various countries
and appointed as General Practitioners provides Primary Health
Care. Practical solution for the current practice of Family
Medicine in the Arab World will be discussed in this paper.
I therefore recommend that we should think big, start small
to see the operation of family medicine and act now and immediately.
