Under the slogan (Towards a Safe and Professional Medical Practice), the Kurdistan Doctors Syndicate-Duhok Branch, in cooperation with the Colleges of Medicine at the University of Duhok and the University of Zakho, and the Directorate of Health of Duhok held the first scientific conference on 11th May 2023, at the University of Duhok's Conference Center, in the presence of His Excellency the Minister of Health of the Kurdistan Region, Dr. Saman Hussein Al-Barzanji, and the representative of the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research at the Kurdistan Region, Dr. Mohammed Hussein Kalari, the Governor of Dohuk, Dr. Ali Tatar, in addition to a number of members of the Kurdistan Parliament, members of the Kurdistan and Iraqi Doctors Syndicate, professors from the University of Dohuk, and a large number of doctors from the Duhok city and all of Kurdistan, as well as doctors and researchers from abroad.

The conference was decided to be held on the 11th, 12th May. It was divided into two parts; The scientific section and the professional section. On the professional side, doctors and health experts from Kurdistan and abroad participated to discuss many medical issues. It included two panels in which a number of doctors from Kurdistan and other countries participated. The first panel was about the health sector and how to develop it. It was headed by Dr. Ary Habeeb. And Dr. Afrasyab Musa, the General Director of Health at the Governorate of Duhok, Dr. Ali Sindi, the former Planning Minister at the Kurdistan Region, and Dr. Rahel Faraidoon, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health at the Kurdistan Region, participated in this panel. Dr. Afrasyab Musa mentioned that changing the health sector is a complicated process and requires great efforts and much time. The change must be gradual and begin with developing the health sector institutions and renewing their working authority. On his side, Dr. Ali Sindi clarified that the conferences do not make the required change on the health sector. For that sake, specific committees must be set for changing and reforming the health sector, as stated in the Iraqi Constitution. These committees must be interested in continuous monitoring and following up to find solutions needed in the health institutions. As for the second panel, which was held on the second day, it discussed the medical education in the Kurdistan Region and the ways to develop it.

On the scientific side, eighteen scientific research papers were presented by professors of the College of Medicine at the University of Duhok and doctors from the Dohuk city. The research papers presented were conducted for the first time. In addition to holding a special session, discussed kidney and urinary tracts diseases in which a number of doctors from Kurdistan and Iraq participated.

Regarding the significance of the conference, Dr. Saman Hussain Al-Barzanj, the Minister of Health at the Kurdistan Region, described the conference as “International”. “Due to the scientific research papers presented in this conference for the first time, I can consider it international, because the papers presented for the first time are advanced. Such papers and scientific discussions take place in global scientific conferences. We hope that the conference come up with useful recommendations that we, in the health sector, can rely on to make the reforms needed in the health system.” He stated.

On another hand, Dr. Araz Abdal, the Head of the Duhok Doctors Syndicate-Duhok Branch stated that shedding light on the newest ways to treat and overcome the diseases, combating the false practice of the medicine occupation, in addition to highlighting the strength points and handling the weakness points in the domain of medicine are main goals of this conference. He also added: “we, from Kurdistan and Iraq, all gather today to learn about the recent scientific research papers in order to serve the medical work and our health sector. We are looking forward to finding this conference as an actual step in reforming the medical work in Kurdistan generally, and in Duhok particularly.”

It is worth mentioning that more than 800 physicians and academic figures participated in this conference. It included many activities such as showing two documentaries; the first showed the role of medicine and doctors in saving the lives of people. And the second showed the history of medicine at the Duhok city and the first people practiced it therein. It also included an entertaining show presented by one of the folk-art teams.

UoD Media; May 16, 2023

Fatima Mahmod, Firmesk Hasso

Translated by: Fatima mahmood

Photo: Mohammed Abdulkareem, Ali Banki