Medical
Education in the EMR
The Regional Office assigned
top priority to human resources policies formulation, planning and
management. Human resources policies have been developed in very few
countries of the Region. In most cases plans for human resources for health
have been worked out in the absence of clear-cut or agreed policies. To meet
this deficiency, guidelines for formulation of policies on human resources
development, prepared by a working group, are available.
Most countries of the Region
have administrative units for human resources for health and some for
continuing education for health personnel. In some cases there are no
administrative units, but their tasks are performed by the focal points for
policy formulation, planning and management. These units and focal points
need help in revising policies and plans in response to the continually
changing needs and demands of the health sector. During the past several
years, additional medical schools have been established and the numbers of
medical students admitted have increased progressively. These increases have
sometimes occurred without adequate planning or preparation for training.
This clearly demonstrates that there is an urgent need to develop clear-cut
policies to safeguard the future of the medical profession and quality of
education, to harmonize supply and demand and to improve the
doctor–patient relationship.
Better performance of health
personnel has been the most important reason for the emphasis the Regional
Office has placed on strengthening and promoting programmes for continuing
education as well as programmes on management of human resources.
In 1995 and 1996 the Regional
Office intensified its collaborative activities in strengthening partnership
between medical education and the health services, including
community-oriented medical education. The objective of the Ministerial
Consultation on Medical Education and Health Services, held in Egypt
in December 1995 and cosponsored by EMRO, UNESCO and the World
Federation of Medical Education, was to "explore possible ways of
enhancing the relationship between medical education and health
services".
As follow-up to this
consultation the report of the consultation was revised and distributed to
all ministers of health and education, vice-chancellors of universities,
deans of medical schools and under-secretaries of ministers of health,
drawing particular attention to recommendations for countries. The topic was
discussed in the Eastern Mediterranean Regional Consultative Committee in
May 1996 and also in the meeting of the Deans of Arab Medical Schools in
June 1996. The subject of the consultation and its recommendations were
included in the agenda of the Forty-third Session of the Regional Committee.
The topic of close
coordination between ministries of health and ministries of education was
included in a paper entitled "Establishment of New Medical Schools in Saudi
Arabia" which was sent to the Minister of Higher Education and the
designated Dean for the new medical school in Mecca. A summary of the
recommendations of the consultation, as well as a paper by Dr A.R. Marandi,
Minister of Health and Medical Education,
Islamic Republic of Iran, on the Iranian experience in integrating
medical education and health services, were published in the January 1996
issue of the Medical education journal. Finally, a follow-up letter
was addressed to all participants requesting a detailed report on the
implementation of World Health Assembly resolution WHA 48.8 on reorientating
medical education and medical practice for health for all and the
recommendations of the consultation. Nine countries out of 13, namely Bahrain,
Egypt,
Jordan,
Islamic Republic of Iran, Pakistan,
Palestine, Sudan,
United
Arab Emirates and Republic
of Yemen, submitted reports reflecting the impact of the consultation
and the follow-up action taken.
Coordination between medical
education and health services has been established by the formation of joint
councils or committees in Bahrain, Egypt and United Arab Emirates. Close
cooperation has also begun in other countries through a number of different
approaches, such as conducting workshops for the staff of ministries of
health and universities. Countries have also taken serious steps to review
the situation and to examine critically the collaboration and involvement of
the staff of ministries of health in the teaching and training of medical
and paramedical students. In the Islamic Republic of Iran, in addition to
the complete organizational integration which has already been completed,
five universities have started revising the curriculum for medicine,
dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, midwifery, nutrition, health and medical
education. Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have already carried out
this important task. Pakistan continued its activities in implementing five
projects.
