Hashemite University, UNRWA sign MoU to train family medicine doctors

AMMAN — The Hashemite University and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday to provide academic medical training to a group of UNRWA doctors in primary healthcare and family medicine with the aim of improving the quality of healthcare services provided. 

The memorandum was signed by Olaf Becker, Acting Director of UNRWA Affairs - Jordan, and Khaled Abu Al Tin, the Vice President of the University, in the presence of Amjad Shdeifat, Family Medicine Programme Coordinator, Akihiro Seita, Director of Health, Mustafa Ammoura, Chief Field Officer of Health Programme and Ishtawi Abu Zayed, Health Coordinator/Advisor, according to a statement from UNRWA.

Becker stated that UNRWA has been working tirelessly to provide assistance and protection to registered Palestine refugees with services in education, healthcare, relief and social services, camp infrastructure and improvement, microfinance and emergency assistance. 

The vice president of the university praised UNRWA’s efforts in Jordan and the Kingdom's efforts in supporting UNRWA under the leadership of His Majesty King Abdullah. 

Abu Al Tin expressed his commitment in continuing to build the partnership with UNRWA to expand medical capacities that help in exchanging experiences to achieve the same goal.

According to the memorandum, five UNRWA doctors will get the opportunity to attend a one-year (12-month) medical training course. After the completion of the course, the doctors will be awarded a diploma in primary healthcare. This diploma will contribute to raising the standard of primary healthcare to Palestine refugees and will contribute to building medical capacity in the UNRWA health department, the statement said.

Shdeifat, the coordinator of the Family Medicine Diploma Programme project, said that the project is supported by the Erasmus initiative, which is a European initiative to support higher education. Six universities will participate: the Hashemite University, the Jordan University, the Science and Technology University, Queen Mary London University, Radboud University in the Netherlands, and the University of Leuven in Belgium. 

Shdeifat stated that the training programme includes discussions and group meetings, as well as in-person and online lectures on job training, intended to help medicine enthusiasts and doctors learn and connect on a larger scale and from inaccessible areas.  

The memorandum described the details of the course curriculum and the courses covered by the diploma, which include the basic principles of the family medicine and the role of family medicine in comprehensive care, gender-related care, the elderly and palliative care, prevention, chronic disease care, psychological and social care and child health.