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Mideast Exchange Program Seeks ‘Coexistence Through Medicine’

In a first-of-its-kind program, Israeli and Palestinian health care professionals visited six US cities together to learn about the American health care system. World Learning organized the exchange from May 24 to June 11 on behalf of the US Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program, or IVLP.

The Health Care Management Peace Partners Initiative introduced the 10 Palestinian and Israeli physicians, nurses, and hospital administrators to important issues within the American system, such as federal health care reform and rural medical challenges. Program participants Alon Erez, deputy CEO at HaEmek Medical Center in Israel, and Ahmed H A Mali, nursing director at St. John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem, took a moment to talk about the impact of the program.

How would you characterize the relationship between Palestinian and Israeli health professionals, both before and after the program?

Dr. Erez - During the last three weeks, we’ve had ample opportunities to get to know one another.  We’re much more comfortable with each other than in the beginning of the program.

Mr. Mali - I will echo what my colleague Dr. Erez just said. I think our relationship at the professional and medical level has been strengthened so much. We talked about our experiences and problems and potential ways of collaboration and cooperation between both sides. I’m sure a lot of positive things will come out of it.

What was the most valuable part of the program for you?

Mr. Mali - I am the director of nursing at the St. John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem. Most of our patients have problems of access and [live in] isolated areas. Visiting Hazard, Kentucky was the highlight of the program because healthcare professionals there showed us how they managed to care for people living in the rural, isolated areas, where there is high prevalence of certain diseases.

Dr. Erez - I would say for me it was the professional aspects of the trip. As the deputy CEO of HaEmek Medical Center in northern Israel and a cardiac surgeon, I found it very rewarding to be familiarized with the American healthcare system. On the one hand, it’s very advanced technologically, but on the other hand, we met the rural health services, which remind me of some of our experiences back home.

How is the healthcare situation in Palestine affected by recent events, such as the Israeli attack on the flotilla off the coast of Gaza?

Mr. Mali - We cannot really separate health from politics. We live in the Middle East, let’s be realistic here. I don’t know if the incident at sea is going to directly affect patient care, but of course the situation in Gaza is terrible anyway. Healthcare and everything is affected by politics, and so we hope that things will be better. But [healthcare] is definitely affected negatively when we have incidents like this.

Dr. Erez – I want to join my colleague Mr. Mali in what he has just said to you. For us in my hospital, coexistence through medicine is a way of living. We are treating a lot of Palestinians and Arabs, and we are involved in the training of Palestinian and Arab doctors. I really hope we will find peace in our region, because if this can be achieved, it’s not just for the benefit of the Palestinians, but we will benefit from it as well.

What will you take away from this program from a medical standpoint to implement at home?

Dr. Erez – One of the big differences between the Israeli healthcare system and the American system was the status of the patient. I would say that in Israel it’s more system-oriented, and in the US it’s more patient-oriented. I would like to take this approach and try to rearrange things in our hospital back home, so that we will be able to put the patient in the center.

Mr. Mali - I think my main concern would be ways to increase and enhance patients’ awareness of health problems, especially ophthalmology. I’ve noticed that patients in the US are very well informed, and there are so many ways of informing patients about healthcare and eye disease. They are able to seek medical care on time and will not come to you as a healthcare provider when it is too late.

What surprised you most about the US during your trip?

Mr. Mali - What surprised me most is how vast, how big, how large the country is. If you know about the Palestinian territory and Israel, you can go from east to west in about 20 minutes in an airplane. But here, to travel from one state to another you need four or five hours. I keep saying to our colleagues the Israelis, ‘Why are we fighting over a very tiny piece of land, when we have all this land here?’

Dr. Erez - What surprised me most was the huge abundance and availability of food. To be blunt, too many obese persons are walking around. It’s a major health problem that should be addressed because it’s going to have a very negative influence on the health of these people and the state of future children.

Is there anything you would like to communicate to the American people?

Dr. Erez - Comparing the Israeli health system to the American health system, there’s a lot that Americans can learn from us. In Israel every citizen by law has health insurance. All citizens are covered and will get a wide variety and wide range of health services for a very small and modest co-payment.

Mr. Mali - In our culture, we do look after our elderly. I think that parents and grandparents need to be better looked after here than I have seen. It’s shocking for me that an outside organization needs to get involved. I think my message to the American people is that elderly people deserve better treatment.

Is there anything else you would like to add?

Dr. Erez - I would like to end my answer by saying that this program—that was launched by the State Department and was professionally planned and executed by World Learning—was certainly very rewarding and I will recommend it to my colleagues back home.

Mr. Mali - As my colleague Dr. Erez said, it has been an excellent program, and I would like to thank you on behalf of our group for all you’ve done for us.

by Michael Snyder