IMET 2000 Conducts a Study Tour for the Palestinian Refugee Camps in Lebanon
In August 2009, the President of Al Quds University, Professor Sari Nusseibeh discussed his recent visit to Beirut with Professor Colin Green and expressed his distress at the plight of the Palestinians in the refugee camps. Together they planned a working visit for IMET2000 CEO , Prof. Colin Green , to Beirut to explore ways in which Al Quds Faculty of Medicine could help the refugees in education and training.
Professor Green flew to Beirut on November 26th 2010 and spent an intensive five days hosted by Dr Majdi Krayem and his colleagues in Alshifaa (Lebanon).The visits included tours of Burj Al Burajne refugee camp in Beirut , Sabra Chatileh refugee camp in Beirut and Ein Al-Hilweh refugee camp in Saida.
It also included Visits to health clinics in the camps mainly run by UNRWA Palestine Red Crescent and other NGOs. The clinic camps emphasised the need for updating equipment, restoring building fabric and providing the most basic needs in medicines and instruments.
Prof. Green had also discussions with several organizations each with a similar story to tell and each encouraging IMET 2000 to invest time in the Lebanon to help with education and training of healthcare workers. They also pointed out that the needs of the camps are so immense that clearly IMET 2000 is far too small to make any impact unless it serves as a bolt-on service to other NGO’s already established in Lebanon and forming collaborative partnerships with them such as UNRWA , Alshifaa for Medical and Humanitarian services , Association NAJDEH , Witness Association for Human Rights and Medical Aid for Palestine (MAP) .
Prof. Green agreed with these organizations to explore ways that IMET 2000 and the Al Quds Faculty of Medicine could help with their programs if substantial funding was available.
After the visit , IMET 2000-Pal is now planning a limited programs for Lebanon around “ The Management of Burns and their Prevention Through Education “ and a “ Mental Health in Children and Adolescents” , as well as Specialist Courses run through distance learning, telemedicine and webcast learning (accepting that internet communications in the camps are slow and unpredictable).
