Palestine News and Activities

 IMET2000 to Support Firefly International-Syria with Refugee Children 

 July 23, 2020

 As a proud Patron of Firefly International, Colin Green has enjoyed partnering IMET2000 with a charity which helps children in dangerous war zones. Three years back, we supported Project Hope and the Nablus Cultural Festival which brought in volunteer teachers from all over the world to work alongside children with special needs in Nablus schools and refugee camps. That project was so successful that Firefly was able to withdraw financial support as it was self-sufficient. IMET2000 is currently working as a partner with Firefly International and Action for Child Trauma International (ACT) in Gaza in a child mental health project aimed at children with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) called child accelerated trauma treatment CATT. Now having reviewed the work of a project based in Antakya in Turkey working with child refugees from Syria and met impressive key workers Fadia and Maria over Zoom meetings, we have agreed to informally partner Firefly International-Syria  to explore ways of helping and learning from each other. IMET2000 is already heavily involved with Palestinian-Syrian refugees fleeing into the north of Jordan financing over 6 years three young Palestinian psychiatrists in Irbid. We feel that children fleeing into Turkey from north Syria also demand our attention and support. Please click on the link below to get an idea of the humanitarian activities this project is running  over the past four years. And marvel at such joyful innocence and family atmosphere.

IMET2000 continues to support The Rawan Child Development Association

 July 22, 2020

IMET2000-PAL in cooperation with The Rawan Child Development Association has completed the treatment of 10 children with speech and learning difficulties.

The sessions served to improve the children’s educational and cognitive skills. According to the CEO of IMET2000, Dr Malik Zaben, these sessions were part of IMET2000’s bigger goal of improving therapeutic care in Palestine, and that helping these children integrate into regular schools is of utmost importance.

Ms Salam Asia thanked IMET2000 for its undying support.

IMET2000 continues its support of the Jasmine Charitable Society

 July 21, 2020

IMET2000-PAL has completed the treatment of 20 children with mental and learning disabilities in cooperation with the Jasmine Charitable Society.

This treatment that focused on improving the children’s learning and cognitive skills, was just one among many programmes. CEO Dr Malik Zaben highlighted the importance of treating these children, allowing them to integrate with society like everyone else.

IMET2000 Supports COVID-19 patients in Nablus and Ramallah

July 20, 2020

 IMET2000-PAL has provided personal care and toiletries parcels for patients treated for COVID-19 in Nablus & Ramallah.

We hope these packages will help the patients with their current hardship, provide a safer environment and help in containing the spread of COVID-19 infection in Palestine.

IMET2000 responds to urgent needs of Taffouh/ Hebron to fight against COVID-19 outbreak

 July 19, 2020

We in IMET2000 have partnered with local authorities on a package of support to help the local community in Hebron respond to the COVID-19 outbreak; particularly in Tafouh. As an immediate response we have made available 1000 masks and 200 bottles of Hand Gel sanitisers to assist the local community response effort and fight against this unprecedented situation. This is in addition to providing all essential toiletries to all in-patients being treated in local COVID-19 centres in Hebron. This effort is just one of the ways the charity is currently trying to support Palestinian Ministry of Health and other NGOs fight against this pandemic.  

Message and Music from the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music (ESNCM)

July 11, 2020

The well- known musician, lyricist, songwriter and poet Rima Tarazi, a long standing friend of IMET2000, has sent this lovely message to us together with a link to music played on the qanun by students in Gaza. Listening to this, we can feel immensely proud of these wonderful young people faced with terrible injustices and now having to cope with the CV19 pandemic wiping out much of their income. IMET2000 is ever more determined to help keep the ESNCM viable with financial support.

Dear Friends,

Warm greetings to you. I hope you are well and safe during these unfortunate moments in our history when a minuscule virus has prevailed, maybe to humble us and to remind us that it is not glory and power that we should seek as human beings but love,compassion, beauty and peace.

During these difficult times, music is always there to rescue our souls from despair  and to uplift our spirits

 These young musicians from the Edward Said National Conservatory from our various branches, are defying their isolation and reaching out to their friends all over with their music which I hope you will enjoy.

With all my love,

Rima Tarazi

IMET2000 continues its training programme on heart and lung resuscitation for healthcare professionals

June 28,2020 

As part of IMET2000-PAL’s long-term goal to improve the health sector in Palestine, we have organised a series of training sessions titled:

Critical Core Training: Basic Life Support (BLS) Training with COVID-19 Patients

The training workshops covered a range of topics including heart and lung resuscitation, and how to care for COVID-19 infected patients, and were held throughout June. Approximately 30 healthcare professionals from a selection of governmental and private hospitals attended. IMET2000 is working with the Palestinian Ministry of Health and other Palestinian stakeholders in order to combat the virus as best as possible.

The training consisted of a detailed explanation, followed by the trainees applying the information in different expected scenarios.

IMET2000 empowers children suffering from cancer to overcome psychological problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic

June 23,2020

IMET2000 held two art therapy sessions for children with cancer in the Al-Najah University Hospital, which were attended by 10 children.

The first session served as stress relief, allowing the children to relieve the stress and worry accumulated by being in lockdown due to Covid-19 through colouring and drawing.

On the second session the children explored the option of training the hand and finger muscles through musical movements, in addition to awareness raising activities on the ever important topic of personal hygiene.

2 girls in particular were positively impacted by the workshops. The specialist who ran the sessions received many warm thanks for their efforts.

 On-Line Music Teaching in the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music (ESNCM)

June 23, 2020

 IMET2000 has for some time been supporting on-line teaching of music between London and the Gaza branch of ESNCM. This has proven surprisingly successful. Since the COVID-19 lockdown has virtually shut down all face to face teaching, those techniques are now being widely used both within Gaza and throughout the West Bank. As you can see from the YouTube clips , it can be pretty successful and certainly far better than nothing. It is less useful teaching an instrument like a double bass where the student from a financially strapped  home  can neither afford to own one nor space to store or practice. IMET2000 is making regular grants to the Gaza branch which is judged to be in greatest financial need. Because of theCV19 pandemic all ESNCM branches are of course struggling financially.

 Online teaching: 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnyQ2kamNO4&feature=youtu.be.Teacher-student playing: https://youtu.be/gzGu1RCqtLU 

IMET2000 Provides a Scholarship towards a PhD Degree in Nursing

June 1,2020 

IMET2000-PAL has provided Ms Shorouk Ghaleb Qadous– a nurse working at An-Najah Faculty of Nursing/ Nablus- with a scholarship in nursing at the Prince of Songkla University, Thailand.

When asked about her scholarship Ms Shorouk said: “I am very glad that I have been selected for IMET2000 Scholarship- thank you all for your generosity and unlimited support, this scholarship enables me to achieve my future career inspirations.”

This scholarship comes as an essential part of IMET2000’s efforts in supporting continuous education and empowering healthcare professionals in Palestine.

IMET2000’s Training Workshops to Fight Against COVID-19 in Palestine

April 29,2020

In recognition of the importance of training Palestinian healthcare professionals to be able to fight COVID-19 and take care of COVID-19 infected patients, IMET2000 have organized eight workshops in 2 weeks for governmental and non-governmental hospitals in cooperation with Palestinian Ministry of Health. Each workshop was attended by 10-20 doctors and nurses from a range of specialties from both private and public hospitals. These workshops came under the title Healthcare professionals Management of COVID-19 Patients with Severe Acute Respiratory Infection. We started at Al-Najah National University Hospital and then expanded to reach hospitals in Jericho, Tubas, Nablus, Qalqilya, Jenin, Tulkarem and Ramallah. We have trained more than one hundred doctors and nurses. Mr. Muhammad Abu Rajab and Mr. Saleh Abu Lafah from the American Institute of Health Care Professionals ran the workshop. A detailed explanation on the latest guidelines to recognize and treat COVID-19 patients, evidence-based practice and how to use appropriate ventilation methods and infection control measurements and safety precautions were all addressed and provided. Theoretical knowledge was then translated into practical sessions simulating many potential COVID-19 infected patient scenarios.

International Medical Education Trust 2000 Supports the Field of Scientific Research

April 26,2020

As part of our programs to support continuing health sciences education, IMET2000 presented a travel grant to Dr. Rawan Utt to attend an international conference in Dubai entitled HMS – Introduction to Clinical Research (Dubai) 2020.

Dr. Rawan Utt said that “It was a unique experience, besides learning different skill sets during the research work, I was also given opportunity to present my project at international academic workshop with other researchers from different countries. I am really grateful and thankful for IMET2000-PAL for their support and help that I attended the ICRT International program on clinical research was held at Harvard University – Dubai. All I can say is that now, I am much, much more motivated to take up new challenges in the future, whatever may come.”

A meeting between our team in Palestine and the Head of the Emergency Unit at the MoH 

April 13,2020

Second lot of essential items has been delivered to COVID-19 treatment Centre in Bethlehem

April 12,2020

IMET2000 Organises Training for Nurses on Caring for Coronavirus Patients

April 8,2020

In recognition of the importance of training healthcare professionals in caring for COVID-19 patients, we have organised a workshop for nurses titled: Nursing Management of COVID-19 Patients with Acute Respiratory Failure.  This took place on the 8/04/2020 at the An-Najah National University and was attended by 10 nurses from different specialties and backgrounds. Professor Rasha Abu Zaitoun the Continuing Education Officer at An-Najah University thanked IMET2000-PAL for their cooperation. Mr Muhammad Abu Rajab and Mr Saleh Abu Lafah from the American Institute of Health Care Professionals ran the workshop. A detailed explanation of the needed information to identify a COVID-19 patient and safety precautions, in addition to how to deal with the respiratory and bodily symptoms of patients were among other key topics covered.

Our Team in Palestine Deliver Essential Items to COVID Patients 

April 6,2020

 

 

 

Great IMET2000 Supporter Julie Felix Died Sunday 22nd March

March 24,2020

 Sadly, we have to announce the death of Julie Felix, the human rights activist and world famous singer and writer of folk music particularly protest songs. Julie died peacefully in hospital on  Sunday 22nd March. Apart from her fame as a TV , radio and stage star, she was an intense supporter of the underdog and her lifetime interest in protest against war and in promoting human rights inevitably led her to sympathise deeply with Palestine. She was a good friend of Richard Field our official representative in Africa and of Colin Green and a great supporter of IMET2000’s work in Gaza, the West Bank and in Africa. In particular she helped Richard raise thousands of pounds to support an orphanage in Uganda by holding concerts in or near London. Whenever Colin asked her to perform at one of his major fundraising events for Palestine  she always said yes and entertained the guests with a mixture of fun, lament, protest and love songs, always declining any payment . In addition she introduced Colin to many celebrities in the music business who then often supported IMET2000 generously. We last heard her perform solo for an evening at the remarkable age of 80 years and the voice and professionalism was still extraordinary. Richard and Colin both think her at least the equal of Joan Baez as a singer. Above all she was kind, generous and cared deeply for other people less well off than she was. We are proud to have earned her friendship and her loyal support. Richard and Colin would now like to set up an annual IMET2000 Julie Felix Memorial Scholarship in Maternal Health which will be open to young doctors, midwives or nurses in Uganda.

 

IMET2000 Strengthens its Links With the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music (ESNCM) and PalMusic UK

 March 11, 2020

 At a recent concert in Oxford organised by PalMusicUK in which the Palestinian-Jordanian concert pianist Iyad Sughayer performed Mozart, Liszt and Khachaturian to a sold out audience,

Colin Green was delighted to be honoured by PalMusic UK and made a Patron. In his acceptance words he was able to say without exaggeration that in his opinion (and many in the audience who applauded Iyad’s mastery of the piano with a standing and cheering ovation) that he felt that we had listened with excitement to a future star, certainly the best he had heard come out of the Arab World in his many years of concert going worldwide. He also explained why IMET2000 supports cultural activities as part of a holistic approach to preventative medicine of great importance in Palestine especially as part of their child mental health programme. We ask you to listen to this song performed by the Gaza Branch of the ESNCM Choir and Orchestra from different branches.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYSc2b1cZi0&feature=youtu.be

 

IMET2000 signs a tripartite agreement of cooperation with The Ministry of Education and the Rawan Child Development Association

February 29, 2020

Ramallah- following the chain of activities and programmes previously organised by IMET2000 for people with special needs in Palestine, Mr Fadi Zaben on behalf of IMET2000 has signed a tripartite agreement of cooperation with The Ministry of Education represented by The Director General of Educational Guidance at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Mr Mohammad Al-Awash. The third member of this agreement was the Rawan Child Development Association who were represented by the director of the organisation, Ms Salam Asya. The agreement was signed in the Ministry Building and is built around supporting IMET2000 in furnishing 3 source rooms in 3 different state schools, which were chosen by The Directorate so that the area of joint work and activities are in the Deiriyah district of Jerusalem. The schools names are: Abu Dis Mixed Primary School, Al-Jadira Girls Secondary School and Al-Ram Boys Primary School.

These facilities will be made available for students with learning difficulties who suffer from disturbances in cognitive processes. This leads to these students having difficulties in keeping up with other students.  

IMET2000 Continues its Art Therapy Program to Help Kids Undergoing Treatment for Cancer

February 27, 2020

 We have organised this month three art therapy sessions at An-Najah University Hospital-Nablus. Ten kids undergoing treatment for cancer benefited from those sessions. The children enjoyed the sessions by doing lots of circular drawings including drawing Mandalas.  Mandala art therapy is a form of psychotherapy through which kids draw geometric patterns in an effort to alleviate their stress and encourage them to engage. Other activities in those sessions focused on kids under infection control isolation to keep them engaged and happy.

IMET2000 Organise Three Training Courses of Cardiac and Lung Resuscitation for Adults, Children and New-Borns

February 23, 2020

The International Medical Education Trust (IMET2000-PAL) organised three training courses for doctors and nurses on cardiac and lung resuscitation for adults, children and new-borns at The Arab American University and Juzoor for Health & Social Development. Each course was attended by 10 doctors and nurses from a range of specialties and from both private and public hospitals.

The courses began with a few words from Mr Fady Zaben and Dr Mohammed Obaidullah where they spoke about the educational programmes and opportunities made available by IMET2000-Pal and what the future may hold for it. They also talked about what projects were planned for this year, and they emphasised the keenness of IMET2000-Pal to continue to organise training sessions on a regular basis to improve the standards of care delivered by medical staff in Palestine.

The first course was directed by Mr Salah Al-Hajj Ali in 2/2/2020, the second was directed by Mr Jihad Hawamda & Mrs Tahreer Taha in 19/2/2020 and the third training was directed by Fayez Ghannam in 23/2/2020, The trainings began with a detailed explanation of the theoretical information on the resuscitation of the heart and lungs for children, new-borns and adults as per the guidelines set by The American Heart Association in 2015. The trainees then applied this information with scientific, practical steps, on artificial respiration and cardiac resuscitation for adults, children and new-borns for all expected cases.

IMET2000 Supports the Field of Neurosurgery

February 20, 2020

Among IMET2000’s programmes to support continuing education, and through its strategy to contribute to the development of medical personnel in all specialties, IMET2000 has presented Dr Ehab Balawi – specialising in Neurosurgery – with a scholarship to study in Chongqing Medical University in China for a year. 

This scholarship is part of a chain of scholarships provided by IMET2000 to help and improve medical personnel in Palestine, it’s worth noting that Neurosurgery is a desperately needed speciality in Palestine. Dr Balawi has expressed his gratitude to IMET2000 for this scholarship.

IMET2000 Organised Paediatric Advanced Life support Training for Physicians and Nurses In Ramallah

February 8-10, 2020

IMET2000-PAL organised a 2-day training course in cooperation with Juthur in Ramallah on advanced child recovery titled: Paediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) Training for Physicians and Nurses . It was attended by 12 doctors and nurses from a range of state and private hospitals, and was opened with a word from Mr Fadi Zaben (IMET2000’s representative in Palestine) where he welcomed the attendees, gave a rundown of the programmes provided by IMET2000 and gave an outlook on its future. He also explained how this training course is but one of many training courses available for physicians and nurses all in hopes of upgrading medical personnel in Palestine.

 The goal of the workshop was to help medical staff to recognise and understand the latest developments and applications of advanced CPR for children and for them to be able to apply these skills. This was achieved through training based on real scenarios which gave an applied and practical explanation on successfully preforming advanced CPR. It was organised by a group of specialised training cadres according the American Heart Association’s regulations.

The course was directed by Mr Iyad Al-Sayyid and Mr Muhammad Adawi, reliable instructors from the American Heart Association. The training included use of training models (Dolls shaped like the human body) to educate the attendees on how to resuscitate a child’s heart and how to handle emergency cases like people who suffer from critical heart and lung diseases. Finally, various pathological and symptomatic conditions were discussed that required the application of the resuscitation process.

 IMET2000 Annual Dinner in the House of Lords Yesterday

February 8, 2020

 This year we were celebrating at our Annual Dinner in the Peers Dining Room our IMET2000 20^th Anniversary and the 25^th Anniversary of the Al Quds Medical School. This was hosted yet again by our staunch supporter Baroness Jenny Tonge and it was a special occasion in beautiful historic surroundings. We had 124 guests , including the Palestinian Ambassador Dr Husam Zomlot, four IMET2000 Patrons ( Baroness Helena Kennedy, Jon Snow, Mike Barnes and John Griffin), many IMET2000 Trustees and so many good friends and loyal supporters from the Palestinian community and Arab world. It was not only socially successful but raised virtually all our targets financially for two urgent projects for physical trauma (the IMET2000 Trauma Centre for Training, Education and Research in El-Bireh and the new Neurosurgery Unit in The Ramallah Medical Complex) and two for mental health (the Jasmine Centre in Ramallah and the Art Therapy for Cancer Patients in Nablus, Augusta Victoria and Beit Jalah). We thank our wonderful hostess Jenny Tonge , the Ambassador, our stand-up comedian Alex Healy and Jon Snow our great Patron and guest speaker as well as all the generous guests in the room who made it such a success.

 IMET 2000 Award Their Founder Colin Green

February 8,2020

 As this was a celebration of both the 20^th Anniversary of IMET200 and the 25^th Anniversary of Al Quds Medical School, the charity has decided to badge the new Trauma Centre in El Bireh with the name of our Founder Colin Green.  In addition,  Al Quds University recently acknowledged the pioneering work of Professor Nael Shihabi  as first Dean of Al Quds Medical School open to its first cohort of students ( a mere 32 in number)in 1994 by presenting him with a plaque and affixing one to the entrance to the Medical School.  The current Dean of the School, Dr Hani Abdeen, and the University President couriered  a similar plaque via Dr Malik Zaben and this was presented by Baroness Tonge and Dr Malik  as a surprise to Colin to thank him for his help in starting that School. A somewhat overwhelmed and emotional Colin was delighted to be awarded such a precious prize but dedicated it to his wife Liz who helped him and the Palestinian students so much, for example by arranging UK electives , helping start the support group The Foundation for Al Quds Medical School (FQMS) in 1997, supporting many post-graduate students in the UK, and helping run fundraising events over many years from 1996 onwards. He emphasised  that without her support, it would have been impossible to do half the projects done jointly with the students for years afterwards.

IMET2000 Scholarships

 IMET2000 grants Mr. Abdallah Al-Wawi (Hebron) a scholarship towards his PhD study in the field of Medical Nursing’s at the University of Ankara, in Turkey. This comes under our goals to support continuing nursing education to provide future champions in the field.

 IMET2000 has granted Dr Eman Shaweesh a travel bursary as a speaker from Palestine, in the “World Congress on Nursing  Education and Research Conference” organized in the USA, November 2019.

She delivered a presentation on using complementary and cupping therapy among Palestinian women in reproductive age.

Basic Life Support Training

January 30, 2020

IMET2000-PAL in cooperation with American Arab University-Jenin organised the Critical Core Training: Basic Life Support (BLS) for nurses.

The workshop was attended by 10 nurses from primary health care center and Jericho governmental hospital at Jericho. This workshop was led by Mr. Fayez Ghannam (American Heart Association “AHA”) Instructor.

Art Therapy for Children with Cancer

January, 2020

In line with the strategies of IMET2000 and our interest in mental health for children, we conducted three art therapy sessions as part of our art therapy program in cooperation with An-Najah University Hospital. The total number of children attending was ten. The sessions were as follows: The first was held On 5/1/2020; activities included two girls from the isolation department with psychological depression, where they benefited from the art therapy session by

drawing the four seasons with watercolors for exercising and moving the muscles. The second and third sessions were held on 11/1/2020 and 25/1/2020 respectively; activities included performing exercises for simulated stories to develop the child’s imagination with a presence of a clown to provide a happy environment.

Basic Life Support Training

January 12, 2020

IMET2000-PAL in cooperation with American Arab University-Jenin organised the Critical Core Training: Basic Life Support (BLS) for Physicians. The workshop was attended by 10 physicians from different governmental and private hospitals at American Arab University in Al-Ryihan. This workshop was led by Mr. Ayman Anaya (American Heart Association “AHA”) Instructor.

IMET2000 & the Ministry of Health Signed up a Memorandum of Understanding

December 26, 2019

IMET2000 represented by its CEO Dr. Malik Zaben has signed up a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Health represented by her Excellency Dr. Mai AlKaili. This MoU outlines the key fields in which the two parties will collaborate to empower healthcare professionals in Palestine. This agreement is a very important step forward to continue our ongoing work in key fields of health sciences education particularly child mental health education, physical trauma, and professional career development.

Teaching the Teachers Workshop

December 26, 2019

In cooperation with An-Najah University Medical School, IMET200-PAL conducted another Teaching the Teachers workshop for those involved in basic medical sciences and clinical teaching at the Medicine and Nursing Schools at An-Najah University. This workshop focused on training and providing participants with the necessary concepts and skills to develop strong teaching skills, be able to deliver interactive small and large group teaching sessions and give effective feedback. Dr. Malik Zaben our CEO and lecturer in Neurosurgery at Cardiff University, UK led the workshop.

Research Methodology Workshop

December 25,2019

IMET 2000-PAL organized the eighth workshop in Medical Research Methodology and Clinical Audit. This workshop was conducted by our CEO, Dr. Malik Zaben (Clinical Lecturer in Neurosurgery, Cardiff University, UK). This workshop is part of our continuing medical education (CME) program in Palestine. It explores key concepts that underpin evidence-based medicine whilst providing tools to plan, undertake and analyse clinical research and audit.

IMET2000 Team Visit Jasmine Society for Children with Developmental Disabilities

 December 23, 2019

Our CEO Dr Malik Zaben and his assistant Miss Alia Taradeh visited the Jasmine Charitable Society. During his visit, Dr Malik learned about the different services and activities provided by the Society. He also visited the different facilities and talked to the children. In his meeting with the Executive Board of the Society. Dr Zaben expressed his gratitude to all members of staff for what they do and has pledged some more funding towards the development of the services provided by the society.

IMET2000 Participated in Celebrating the Founder Dean of Al-Quds Medical School

 December 22, 2019

IMET2000 represented by it’s CEO Dr Zaben in collaboration with Al- Quds University president office and the School of Medicine Deanship celebrated the first dean and the founder of Al-Quds Medical School Dr Nael Shihabi. In his speech, Dr Zaben recalled the key role for Dr Shihabi played in establishing the first medical school in Palestine.

This participation comes as part of our recognition of Palestinian champions in medical education.

Strategic Meeting between IMET2000-PAL Team and The President of Palestinian Medical Council and The Chairman of Palestinian Medical Association

 December 22, 2019

Our IMET2000 key members of staff alongside Dr Amin Thalji president of Palestinian medical council and Dr Shawqi Sabha Chairman of president of medical association welcomed two keynote speaker guests Dr Jamal Saleh from Al-Bahrin and Dr Abdallah Al- Harthy from Oman. In this welcome dinner/meeting the round table discussions went on to cover future collaboration, venues and means of promoting continuing medical education Palestine. We are in the process of formulating proposals to follow on this meeting. We are very grateful for our guests for their support and for Drs Thalji &Sabha for joining us on the evening.

Launch of Palestine ATLS Chapter

December 19-21, 2019

We are very pleased to announce to our friends and supporters the launch of Palestine ATLS chapter in cooperation with the Palestinian Society of Surgeons. This launch was marked by organizing our first training at the Specialties Hospital in Amman-Jordan. Ten candidate-doctors from different hospitals in Palestine have signed up for the course. Our Palestinian ATLS instructors have successfully run the training over the course of three days. This was conducted under the supervision of ATLS international committee led by the chairman of ATLS Jordan Chapter, Dr. Mahmoud Odat. Now that this stage has been completed, we are to conduct our next ATLS training in February 2020.

Our Psychiatry Trainees Meet with IMET2000 CEO

December 19, 2019

Our CEO Dr Malik Zaben met our psychiatry residents training in Jordan; Dr Yaser AlShaer, Dr Amal Abo Obada and Dr Omar Al Ashhab.

Dr Zaben listened to the latest development in their training, the concerns they have and future directions. Dr Zaben was very pleased with their achievements and congratulated them on that. We in IMET2000 are looking forward to increase the number of residents in the near future, and for this group completion of training and return to Palestine to serve our local community.

Rawan Association Donation

December 18, 2019

Following the series of activities and programs for children with disabilities in Palestine,

IMET2000-PAL supported Rawan association for child development to equip three resource rooms in different governmental schools in Jerusalem/Ramallah area. IMET2000-PAL will also be covering the cost of treatment for 10 children with autism spectrum disorders and learning difficulties. This grant aims to provide more services to children who have difficulty accessing these services, as there are about 700 children troubled with these conditions in Palestine.

Art Therapy for Children with Cancer

December 10, 2019

In line with the strategies of IMET2000 and our interest in mental health for children, we conducted three art therapy sessions as part of our series of art therapy program in cooperation with An-Najah University Hospital focusing on children undergoing treatment for cancer. The total number of children attending was twelve. The sessions were as follows:

The first and second sessions were held on 10/12/2019 and 17/12/2019; activities included light warm-up exercises, breathing exercises, free artistic activities and playing with clay.

The second session focused on children with psychological depression. One of the children in this group is a 10-year-old girl who was noted depressed and isolated. She enjoyed the session and interacted with the colors and began drawing, and her parents were very pleased to see that and thanked theIMET2000-Pal for this program.

The third session was also held on 25/12/2019 and was attended by 7 cancer patients. The sleeves of their shirts were decorated with comic cartoon characters in order to break the usual daily routine of encountering doctors and their intimidating masks. The children made their wishes for a happy New Year by drawing a group of paintings.

Basic Life Support Workshop

December 5, 2019

IMET2000-PAL organized the Critical Core Training: Basic Life Support (BLS) for Nurses.

 The workshop was attended by 10 nurses from Rafdia governmental hospital, Selfie Governmental Hospital, Watani governmental Hospital and Qalqilia governmental hospital at Rafidia Governmental Hospital-Nablus. This workshop was led by instructor Mr. Farid Abu Liel (American Heart Association “AHA”).

IMET2000-Pal Scholarships

Our fellows continue to prosper in mental health training and other health science fields:

Mr Sajed Ghawadra  (Qabatya) completes successfully the 1^st year of his PhD in mental health nursing Congratulations..!

Mr Hadi Rabee’ utilised a travel bursary from IMET2000-Pal to attend an international conference in Spain, which focuses on introducing new updates on the management of a number of dermatological diseases.

Dr Salah Itmaiza utilised a travel bursary to attend The European emergency medicine congress in Prague, organized by the EUSEM. The meeting focus was on the use of ultrasound in emergency setting, toxicology and trauma. 

IMET2000 organized three (BLS) for Physicians and Nurses

October 6, 2019

IMET2000-PAL in cooperation with American Arab University-Jenin organized the Critical Core Training: Basic Life Support (BLS) for Physicians XI. The workshop was attended by 9 physicians from different governmental and private hospitals at American Arab University in Al-Ryihan .This workshop was led by Instructor Mr.Ahmad Hodrob (American Heart Association “AHA”).

September 28, 2019

IMET2000-PAL in cooperation with JUZOOR for Health & Social Development, organized the Critical Core Training: Basic Life Support (BLS) for Physicians. The workshop was attended by 12 doctors from west bank at JUZOOR for health & social development center in Ramallah. This workshop was led by Instructors Dr. Aref Omar and Mrs. Taher Wardeh (American Heart Association “AHA”).

September 25, 2019

IMET2000-PAL in cooperation with American Arab University-Jenin organized the Critical Core Training: Basic Life Support (BLS) for Nurses. 9 nurses attended the workshop from west bank governmental hospitals at American Arab University in Jenin. Mr.Fayez Ghannam (American Heart Association “AHA”) led this workshop.

A Member of our Board of Trustees Working Visit to Palestine

Dr Hasanen said “I have witnessed the interpersonal relationships with children and their families, and I was amazed by how safe the therapeutic environment was and how the friendly and familial such interactions were. Staff paid a considerable amount of time and effort in supporting children, some with very challenging pathological presentations. I was glad to witness how these vulnerable children looked extremely happy when they played and interacted with staff.”

 

IMET2000-PAL Scholarships-updates…

October 1,2019

Our fellows continue to prosper in mental health and other health science fields:

Dr Amal Abu Obada (Gaza) completes successfully her 3rd year in mental health training-Congratulations..!

Dr Omar Al Ashhab (Ramallah) starts his 2nd year of training upon successful completion of the 1st year. Very well done!  

Dr. Ehab Balawi from (Gaza) successfully starts his training in Neurosurgery in China upon completion of the 1st probationary year successfully. Well done..!  

Mohammad Al Butma a travel bursary to attend an international conference in Spain, which focuses on lung cancer and new diagnostic methods for the disease!

• Dr. Yasser Ashaer from (Gaza) successfully completes 5-yr training in psychiatry training- Congratulations..!
• Ms. Ibtisam Dweikat (Hebron) with a scholarship from IMET2000 continues her PhD in maternal health and midwifery. All the best! 

Advanced Trauma Life Support Progress

September 30, 2019

IMET2000-PAL organised the Advanced Life Support (ATLS) 10th Edition Instructors Update Course. The workshop was attended by 9 instructors. Dr. Mahmoud Odat/Chair Jordan ATLS Chapter led this workshop. We are looking forward for running this course on October 18^th – 20^th 2019 in the presence of international experts.

Art Therapy for Children with Cancer

IMET2000-PAL in cooperation with An-Najah National University Hospital organized two activities in art therapy this month for children undergoing treatment for cancer. Nine children attended the event. Through this scheme we aim to achieve multiple benefits which include, but not limited to: (1) control anger, (2) enhancing their mental health, (3) providing healthier, more positive body images, as well as support in safely expressing difficult emotions, and most importantly (4) increasing self-esteem and improving the children’s mood as they are undergoing treatment. The two activities took place on the 7th and 16th of Sep with Six children attending the first and three attending the second. The first session included a wide range of psychological art activities on interpretation of facial expressions, breathing exercises and coloring to help introduce children to new ways to control nervous emotions in an appropriate manner. The second treatment session included analytical exercises for the character through drawing to explore the psychological feelings of children especially those suffering from isolation. During the session the children drew a number of paintings with the help and support of Ms. Hadeel Alawneh, our art therapist.

Pal Music UK Project in Gaza and West Bank

September 30,2019

 IMET 2000 has decided to make a substantial grant to our partner organisation Pal Music UK to support the Long Distance Digital Learning for Palestine project which builds on the successful pilot run in the Gaza Music School (GMS) over the last year in collaboration with the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music (ESNCM) and the Trinity Laban College of Music in London. In that pilot (badged as LDDL Gaza), digital and audio-visual technologies were devised and used to bring expert teaching from Trinity Laban and other universities and conservatories across the UK, enabling remote learning for Palestinian students and providing mentoring and skills development for GMS teachers over the long-term. In the photo a young GMS student is learning the Qanun which is a beautiful Arabic instrument vaguely similar in sound output to a Viennese zither and Indian sitar combined!

British Council Memorial Celebration for Chris McConville in Jerusalem

September 23,2019  

 On October 21^st,2019, the British Council in East Jerusalem has arranged an event in their gardens for the many friends and colleagues of Chris McConville to come together to celebrate his long life and decades of support for the Palestinian people together with his devoted wife Molly. Sadly, Chris died on February 1^st in Whittington Hospital after a long battle with pulmonary problems and finally cardiothoracic failure  He was nearly 85.

Colin Green first met Chris in East Jerusalem during the first intifada in about 1988 when Colin was sent out by Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) to explore the possibility of setting up the first Palestinian Medical School with MAP financial support. Chris was at the time Director of the British Council in East Jerusalem and together with Molly thrust Colin into the reality of the occupation by arranging numerous hospital and refugee camp visits for him. We all owe him a great deal. So do many Palestinians. He was a one-off and an unusual man who was completely without artifice, sought no self-promotion and, unlike so many in other such organisations, was not only highly intelligent but had an incredibly flexible mind. What we valued most was his total honesty and total integrity. We have worked together on Palestinian affairs most amiably ever since first in MAP, then in helping set up the Al Quds Medical School as a Trustee of the Foundation for Al Quds Medical School (FQMS)  and then until he died a loyal supporter of the International Medical Education Trust (IMET2000). Ever since 1988, we found in him the wisest of councils.  He was a great guy and loyal to a fault in supporting us when under fire from Palestinians who did not agree with our ideas or methods. As he started life as a driver in the BC and then was spotted and rose up through the ranks to be Director in Jerusalem that told us a lot about the BC and its internal workings to promote people of merit not just in the usual British way with snobbery or old school tie connections intervening along the way! He was a breath of fresh air…..and in love like his wife Molly with Palestine.  British Council is proud of his huge contribution to the organisation and the Council culture and to Palestine as are all of us in IMET2000 privileged to have known him.

Advanced Trauma Life Support on Its Way

AO Trauma Basic Principles and Fractures Treatment Course for Five Nurses

IMET2000-PAL in cooperation with Al-Najah National University Hospital, supported five nurses to participate and attend a training course on the basic principles of how to manage patients with traumatic injuries. This training took place on June 20th, 2019, for three days at the Palestinian Red Crescent Centre and attended by doctors and nurses from all over the country. The course covered many scientific topics that were divided into two main categories: (i) practical section and   (ii)  the theoretical section. The course focused on the basic principles of orthopaedic techniques, and methods of dealing with trauma and fractures through training in small groups guided by international and national colleges. The feedback on the course was excellent and perceived to have increased participants ‘knowledge of trauma and fractures management. This in line with our strategy to enhance trauma training in Palestine to help doctors and nurses cope with the increasing numbers of traumatic injuries. IMET2000-Pal is hoping to complement this training with the very soon upcoming training for doctors in Advanced Trauma and Life Support.

Basic Life Support (BLS) for Physicians X

Critical Core Training: Basic Life Support (BLS) Training for Nurses-Session 29

August   18, 2019 

 IMET2000-PAL  in  cooperation with American Arab University in Jenin  organized  the   Critical Core Training: Basic  Life Support (BLS) for Nurses. The workshop was attended by 9 nurses from the  Arab  American  University (AAU) headquarters in Al-Rayhan neighborhood  in  Abu-Qash,  Ramallah. This workshop was  led   by instructor Mr. Ahmad Hodrob (American Heart Association “AHA”).

Basic Life Support (BLS) Workshop for Physicians

August 04, 2019

IMET2000-PAL in cooperation with American Arab University in Jenin organized the  Critical  Core  Training:  Basic Life Support(BLS) for Physicians  VIII. The  workshop  was attended by 10 physicians from Jenin governmental hospital and  took  place at  the American Arab University in Jenin. This workshop  was  led  by  instructor  Mr.  Fayez Ghannam (American Heart Association “AHA”).

The Child Accelerated Trauma Treatment Project in Gaza

August 4,2019

The CATT project we are actively supporting in Gaza is going extremely well and our two CATT trained psychologists, Mohammed El Sharef and Haitham Shamia report good progress since July when the project started in earnest.  This is a 6-month feasibility study to test the effectiveness of this treatment and if as hoped is successful it will be a big ongoing project for IMET in collaboration with our friends in Firefly International and Action for Child Trauma International (ACT).

Therapy for Children with Cancer

July 29, 2019

IMET2000-PAL  in cooperation with An-Najah Hospital organized three activities in art therapy this month for children under going  treatment for cancer. Through this scheme we aim to achieve multiple benefits which extend to involve, but are not  limited  to        (1) reduction in treatment associated stress, (2) increase sense of self-awareness,            (3) improvement in communication with the treating staff,  (4) providing a healthier, more positive body image as well as safe expression of difficult emotions and most   importantly,(5) increase self-esteem and improvement in children mood as they are going through treatment. The  first  activity  was on July the  9th  2019.  

Six   children benefited   from   this   session   which   included   a   wide   range   of psychological activities. A second treatment   session   was also organised   on   the        16th  July,  2019. This was  attended  by 4 children and included a watercolour colouring exercise for fingers and hand muscles, which left a positive impression on both boys and girls and aimed to increase their self-confidence. The third activity was on the 28th of July was attended by 4 children.This   session   included   an   activity to break the fear   from treatment through cooperation with the Department of Paediatric Nursing  to   develop  their  mental   thinking  and  communication between  children  and  the  hospital staff.  The  children drew  a number  of  paintings  with help from a volunteer   nurse Ms.Maryam Halabouni and Ms. Hadeel Alawneh our art therapist.

Basic Life Support (BLS) Workshop for Physicians

Basic Life Support  (BLS)  Workshop for Nurses (Critical Care) 

July 10, 2019

 IMET2000-PAL in  cooperation  with Palestinian  Nursing  and Midwifery Association-Bethlehem  branch  organized  the Critical  Core Training:  Basic Life   Support   (BLS) for Nurses. It is designed for critical care nurses, who are working in the emergency, medical, and critical departments. The workshop  was  attended  by  8  nurses  from governmental and private hospitals in Bethlehem. This workshop  was  led   by   Mr.   Ayman   Anaya   instructor from (American Heart Association “AHA”-  American Arab University- Jenin).

Basic Life Support (BLS) Workshop for Nurses in Mental Health Services

July 2, 2019

IMET2000-PAL   in   cooperation   with Ministry of Health (MoH) and American Arab University-Jenin   organised   the   Critical   Core   Training:   Basic  Life Support (BLS) Training for Mental Health Nurses  Session II. The workshop was attended by 10 Nurses from Mental Health   Hospital/Bethlehem   and   Beit-Jala  Governmental Hospital.  This   workshop   was   led   by   Mr.   Ahmad   Hudrob (American Heart Association “AHA”) Instructor.

Basic Life Support Workshops

June 23, 2019

IMET2000-PAL in cooperation with American Arab University-Jenin organized two Critical Core Training: Basic Life Support (BLS) for  Physicians. The first workshop was in June 23rd, 2019 and attended by 10physicians from Beit-JalaHospital and the second one was in the 30th of the same month, the workshop was attended by 10 physicians from Tulkarem Hospital at American Arab University in Al-Riyhan. These workshops were led by Mr.Ahmad Hudrob (American HeartAssociation “AHA”) Instructor.

IMET2000-Pal Signed up a Memorandum of Understanding

June 20, 2019

IMET2000-Pal signed up a memorandum of understanding with Jasmine Society. Representative   of   IMET2000-Pal   Mr   Fadi   Zaben,   the   Chairman   of   Jasmine Charitable Society Mr Omar Amin, signed up a memorandum of understanding for future collaboration. The parties are looking forward to working together towards empowering Jasmine Charitable Society members of staff with training courses to deal with children with learning difficulties. On the other hand, IMET2000 will be supporting twenty children in their treatment for one year.

Art Therapy for Kids with Cancer

June 16, 2019

IMET2000-PAL in cooperation with An-Najah National University Hospital organized three activities in art therapy this month for children with cancer. The first activity on the 16 of June , 2019 was for children with cancer and chronic diseases. This unique program provides children with a safe space to heal and gives them a voice to express and share stories. On 23 of the same month a second activity was held. And on 30th of June the third activity. It included a free drawing by watercolour, which each child can choose his/her own colour and that will reflect his/her feelings. In addition, the children’s passion to play and draw was obvious in colours world. In these sessions, we used art therapy to help those children and their families explore and express difficult thoughts and feeling. In this program, we are hoping to help these children cope with some of the cancer symptoms and its treatment. The workshops included a therapeutic story to develop children’s imagination and perception and a drawing diagnostic test and scratch drawing. These activities help the children with cancer to express buried emotions, give a feeling of self-confidence  and  freedom,  and  it  helps  cope  with  grief,  fear,  anxiety  and  depression. Approximately  9  children  attended  each  activity.  Ms.  Hadeel  Alawneh,  art  therapist,  led  the activities.

IMET2000-Pal signed up a memorandum of understanding with Sanad Society.

June 3, 2019

Representative of IMET2000 in Palestine Mr. Fadi Zaben, and the Executive Director of Sanad Society Mrs. Dina Jawhari, signed a memorandum of understanding for future collaboration. The parties are looking forward to working together towards empowering Sanad’s society members of staff with training courses to deal with children with learning difficulties.

Practical Guidelines for Infection Control in Health Care Facilities Workshop

May 6, 2019

 IMET2000-PAL in cooperation with Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences at Bethlehem University – Al-Qubeiba branch, organized the Infection Prevention and Control Training for Primary Health Care Nurses: “Practical Guidelines for Infection Control in Health Care Facilities”. It is designed for Primary health care nurses, who are working in primary health care clinics and departments. The workshop was attended by more than 50 nurses and nursing students.

Art Therapy for Kids with Cancer

May 4, 2019

IMET2000-PAL in cooperation with An-Najah National University Hospital organized three activities in art therapy this month for children with cancer. The first activity on the 4th of May, 2019 was for children with cancer and chronic diseases. This unique program provids children with a safe space to heal and gives them a voice to express and share stories. On 15th of the same month a second activity was held. And on 25th of May the third activity. It included free drawing with watercolours, using colour to represent mood, a feeling, or a troubling event. For instance, it can help a patient express those deeper emotions and challenges. Colours can be used as a starting point for discussing difficult topics. The workshops included a therapeutic story to develop children’s imagination and perception and a drawing diagnostic test and scratch drawing. These activities help the children with cancer to express buried emotions, give a feeling of self-confidence and freedom, and it helps cope with grief, fear, anxiety and depression. Approximately 6 children attended each activity. Ms. Hadeel Alawneh, art therapist, led the activities.

PhD  Scholarship in Nursing Psychiatry

April, 2019

IMET2000 Annual Dinner 2019

February 1, 2019

The IMET2000 Annual Dinner took place in the Peers’ Dining Room at The House of Lords on Friday 1st February, 2019 kindly hosted by The Baroness Jenny Tonge.

We were delighted to once again have so many guests with us for the event and we are so grateful for the efforts of many of our guests who still travelled from out of London to the House of Lords despite the heavy snow that fell the night before the Dinner.

During the evening guests enjoyed wonderful entertainment from Mark Thomas the famous stand-up comedian, theatre actor, satirist, journalist, writer and human rights activist.

Special guests on the night included Dr Salem Abukhaizaran, CEO of Istishari Hospital in Palestine and Ambassador Dr Husam Zomlot and his wife Suzan. Dr Zomlot spoke to guests about the healthcare needs in both Gaza and West Bank and about the need for IMET2000’s special skills in higher training of all professionals in the Health Sector. Dr Malik Zaben, IMET2000 Chief Executive Officer then talked to the guests about the importance of IMET2000’s current projects.

We are indebted to and would like to thank our event sponsor BB Energy as well as all those who supported the event so generously by taking a table or tickets, making a donation or pledge, donating or purchasing a prize.

We raised funds for the nine projects shown below and happily the event was a great success reaching our target of £94,000.

• The CATT Project in Gaza

• The Sanad Project in Nablus

• The Rawan Project in Ramallah

• The Jasmine Project in Ramallah

• Art Therapy in Nablus for Gazan Children

• PHD Scholarship in Malaysia in Mental Health

• Basic Life Support Training

• Advanced Training in Neurosurgery

• Critical Care Nursing in Cardiff for An Najah University

IMET 2000-PAL Medical Research Methodology Workshop

February 24, 2019

IMET2000-Pal organised a workshop on Medical Research Methodology for the medical students and healthcare professionals interested in clinical research. More than 25, 5th and 6th-year medical students and doctors in training attended the workshop, which was conducted by our CEO Dr Malik Zaben, Clinical Lecturer and Researcher in Neurosurgery, Cardiff University, UK. The training was aimed at enhancing the knowledge of students about types of medical research, and the difference between research and a clinical audit. Students were also trained on how to design their research questions and proposals.

Meeting with Anesthesia Doctors

February 23, 2019

IMET2000 CEO, Dr Malik Zaben and IMET2000-Pal team had a strategic meeting with Anesthesia doctors in the Westbank. In this meeting, issues of mutual interest to both parties were thoroughly discussed. A special focus was given to the outcomes of the Anaesthesia Training Programme and its future.

Art Therapy Training

February 21, 2019

As a part of its program in developing the health sector, IMET2000-PAL in cooperation with An-Najah National University Hospital, organised three workshops in art therapy. The first training was on the 31st of January 2019 for children with cancer and chronic diseases. On the 21st of February, we performed the second training. It included free drawing with watercolours, where each child could choose his/her own colour that reflects his/her feelings. On the 23rd of the same month, we did the third training, it included psychodrama activities. In addition, the children’s passion to play and draw was obvious in the colours that they used. In these sessions, we used art therapy to help those children and their families explore and express difficult thoughts and feelings. Ms Hadeel Alawneh (art therapy teacher) directed the training in the hospital.

Training the Trainers (TTT) for Nurses and Clinical Instructors

February 12, 2019

IMET 2000-PAL in cooperation with An-Najah National University Hospital- Nablus, organised the Training the Trainers (TtT) workshop for nurses and clinical instructors. The workshop was attended by 30 nurses and clinical teachers from An-Najah National University Hospital. This workshop was led by our CEO Dr Malik Zaben, Clinical Lecturer and Researcher in Neurosurgery, Cardiff University, UK.

Acute Neurosurgical Emergencies Workshop

February 11, 2019

IMET2000-PAL in cooperation with GSK Pharmaceutical Company and Palestinian Emergency Doctors Association organized a workshop under the title of “Acute Neurosurgical Emergencies ”. The workshop was attended by 30 emergency doctors and interns. This lecture was given by our CEO Dr Malik Zaben. This training covered the key management strategies and approaches to neurosurgical emergencies with special focus on traumatic brain injury.

How to Conduct a Systematic Review Workshop

February 3, 2019

On the 3rd of February, 2019, IMET2000-PAL in cooperation with The Deanship of Scientific Research organised a workshop titled: “How to Conduct a Systematic Review”. The workshop was attended by 40 students from Al-Quds University – Abu dies, Jerusalem. The workshop was led by Dr Hasan Alsalman, Certified Obstetrician and Gynecologist.

Basic Life Support (BLS) Training for Nurses

January 30, 2019

In a collaboration between IMET2000-Pal, The Ministry of Health, and The Arab American University-Jenin, we organised a Basic Life Support (BLS) for Nurses from governmental hospitals in Hebron. The workshop was attended by 10 nurses at the Arab American University (AAU) headquarters in Al-Rayhan neighbourhood at Abu-Qash in Ramallah. This workshop was led by Mr Salah Taher (American Heart Association “AHA”).

John Beavis obituary

Trauma surgeon who devoted his 25-year retirement to treating victims in conflict zones, from Bosnia to Gaza, and training local physicians

What started as the Bosnian Fund gave rise in 2000 to Ideals – International Disaster and Emergency Aid with Long-Term Support. Under John’s guidance as founder chairman, Ideals promoted primary trauma care (PTC) courses, which they deemed most cost-effective for the developing world. In 2003, John accompanied Ideals trustees and volunteers to Peshawar, in northern Pakistan, to set up the first PThe doctors proved invaluable when an earthquake hit northern Pakistan and surrounding areas in 2005. John arranged for food, medical equipment and tents to be delivered to the devastated village of Bedadi. These proved so successful that they were adopted in other parts of the country, with more than 2000 doctors receiving training in the immediate management of seriously injured victims of trauma. 

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From 2009 onwards, he and Ideals focused on Palestine, initially together with Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP) in Gaza, establishing PTC courses. Largely because of the rapport John established with Palestinian medical colleagues, as well as managers and politicians, Ideals became involved in all aspects of rehabilitation and post-trauma care, such as occupational care and physiotherapy.

In partnership with the Tropical Health and Education Trust, three orthopaedic surgeons from Gaza received seven months’ training in complex limb reconstruction surgery at King’s College hospital in London. This proved invaluable to help the many civilian casualties of recent military assaults on Gaza.

I first met John when his knowledge of trauma helped us upgrade the burns and plastic surgery clinical services in Gaza and the West Bank. 

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Born in Brighton and adopted by William Beavis, a cook in the Royal Navy, and his wife, Ann (nee McAninch), John soon shone at Varndean school and went to University College London, graduating first in biochemistry and then in medicine.

After qualifying as a doctor in 1967, he served as a medical officer (lieutenant, Royal Navy) to Royal Marine Commando Units until 1973 and developed his lifelong interest in trauma, orthopaedics, reconstructive surgery, the way modern weaponry damages living tissue and the effect of military conflict on both civilian victims and military personnel. He then specialised as an orthopaedic and trauma surgeon and worked in the NHS until the heart attack and bypass surgery that led to his retirement at the age of 53.

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He was deputy director of the Leonard Cheshire Centre for Conflict Recovery (1995-2005), researching the role of medical relief provided in war and disaster; chaired the Be Safe charity, promoting protection against knife and gun crime (2000-05); and in 2001 was awarded the Bosnian Medal of Honour for his work in Sarajevo hospitals during and after the civil war. In the recent New Year’s honours he was appointed OBE.

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In 1961 John married Kate (Kay) Frankland. She survives him, along with their son, Stuart, and daughters, Telina and Carysse.

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• John Beavis, surgeon and humanitarian healthcare volunteer, born 8 June 1940; died 5 December 2018

Brief report on the PhD studies of Dr Ahmed Abu Tayeh, Japan Research Institute

November 3, 2018

We are pleased to post the latest brief report on the PhD studies of our long-term friend and colleague Dr Ahmed Abu Tayeh. He studied as an undergraduate in Al Quds Medical School with an IMET2000 scholarship and after graduation and completing his internship joined the IMET2000 team and office in Ramallah serving us well and loyally until he was offered the opportunity to study in Japan for a higher degree. IMET2000 has helped him to near completion later this year when he returns to Ramallah together with his wife and child.

We are so proud of his achievements. His brief report as follows:
“Most autoimmune diseases have very strong genetic basis altering the function of immune cells and giving rise to chronic autoimmune inflammation. A transgenic mouse model is a powerful system to understand the mechanism of autoimmune diseases. In this model, the gene of interest is integrated into the genome of the developing mouse by genetic engineering techniques. This transgene can later express itself and change the normal phenotype of the mouse. It can also be passed down to future generations, which makes it very suitable to study.
My study is about a genetic mutation coding RIG-I, a member of group of proteins named RIGI-Like receptors family (retinoic acid-inducible gene-I -like receptors, RLR). In normal conditions, these proteins are inactive, but upon viral infection, these proteins become active and work as sensors inside immune cells, i.e., they are responsible for the recognition of viral nucleic acids, so that cells can counteract the infection through downstream signaling and activation of transcription of type-1 interferon and many anti-inflammatory proteins (cytokines). However, some genetic mutations render RLRs to be constitutively active (without viral infections), which results in profound secretion of type-1 interferon, resulting in a chronic inflammatory state and causing autoimmune diseases. My PhD study will enhance our understanding of the pathobiology of autoimmune diseases and will greatly assist in identifying therapeutic targets that may also be of relevance to other human autoimmune diseases.”

Five Years Residency Mental Health Training Scholarship in King Abdullah University Hospital, Irbid, Jordan

October 11, 2018

My name is Omar Al-Ashhab. I received my Medical degree from Nile Valley University, Sudan. I’m very fortunate to be awarded an IMET2000 scholarship for Mental Health training (Psychiatry) in KAUH. As a teenager, I loved having the opportunity to hear people’s stories, and quickly I realised that this is something psychiatry. So I was encouraged to read more and more about human beings behaviour, attitude and their body language. When I used to go the streets and roads in Sudan I saw many poor and miserable children being scattered all over asking for money and food, so I was asking myself what kind of future they will have? So thinking of all of that made me believe that everything happened for a reason, and that gave me a strong passion to be a person who will spend his life caring and helping children. Children’s mental health is often something that is neglected of health care, and it has such a powerful impact on long-term health and wellness for children and families. I’m now in my first year and I’m so pleased to be in this career. I will return back to Palestine when I finished my training program aiming to improve access to mental health care for underserved children and families. I believe that in kids we have miracles and magic, in kids anything is possible.

Nursing Leadership and Management Skills Training

 September 22, 2018

IMET2000-PAL in cooperation with the Palestinian Nursing and Midwifery Association-Bethlehem Branch organised the first session of Nursing Leadership and Management Skills Training. The workshop was attended by 20 nurses from governmental and private hospitals at the West Bank. This training specifically aims to discuss the broader health care system, identify professional issues related to the clinical leader’s role, and identify key structural factors shaping decision making and problem-solving for a clinical leader. This workshop was led by Mrs Aida Zawahra, Human Development Trainer.

Anesthesia Programme

 September 7, 2018

Dr Abdelsatar Ravalia , an anesthesiologist from UK was the third volunteer to Palestine as part of Anesthesia training program to support safe global anesthesia and to run Hands on Training for the anesthesia residents. Dr Abdelsatar accomplished his 2-week mission starting on 7/9/2017 and visited 4 hospitals : AL-Makased hospital , Palestine Medical Complex (PMC), Rafidia Hospital and Hebron Hospital.

Basic Life Support (BLS) for Physicians and Nurses

 September 1, 2018

IMET2000-PAL in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and American Arab University-Jenin organised the Critical Core Training: Basic Life Support (BLS) for Nurses Session 17. The workshop was attended by 10 nurses from governmental and private hospitals at west bank. This workshop was led by Mr Ahmad Hodrob (American Heart Association “AHA”) Instructor.

AMEE Annual Conference

 August 25, 2018

Dr Mohammad Obeidallah attended AMEE Annual Conference, Basel 25th-31st of August 2018. His participation came after his poster on Palestinian Anesthesia training mission run by IMET2000 and WAFSA was accepted for presentation at the conference. The conference was an opportunity to network with others with similar interests, to hear and discuss the views of acknowledged experts, to take part in workshops and courses and to present our own work through a short communication or poster. AMEE conferences are held on a wide range of topical issues in medical education.

Malik and Colin Trip to Palestine

July, 2018

Malik and Colin set off for their working visits to Palestine , Malik for 4 weeks and Colin for just one. Both had very full programmes sometimes working together and other times operating separately. On Saturday, Colin met up with Dr Mamdouh Al Aker to discuss the possibility of Birzeit University setting up a Department of Postgraduate Studies in Healthcare which could raise standards in clinical research as well as other activities useful in the Palestinian Health Sector. He then had a meeting in Jerusalem with the Israeli activist Professor Jeff Halper to discuss conflict resolution in the Middle East and this was followed by a meeting in the evening with Dr Hani Abdeen Dean of Al Quds Medical School. On Sunday Colin visited the Rawan Centre for Child Development and enjoyed taking part in the final day of a three week summer camp and was so pleased that IMET2000 is supporting this programme. On Monday, he visited the Al Quds Medical School in Abu Dies in the morning and had a very productive meeting with the Dean and with the President of the University. Another meeting in the Rawan Centre on Monday afternoon with their Board of Trustees revealed just how ambitious they are to become leaders in this child mental health programme throughout Palestine and too just how much they hope that IMET2000 can fund their ambitions. Colin visited the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music on Tuesday and met the CEO and some of the teachers and the children in their classes; this is a particular interest as Colin is a Trustee of the Friends in London and helps raise funds for them too. The high light of the whole week was the Conference on Clinical Research and Audit organised by Dr Malik Zaben and the IMET2000 –Pal office and held in Ramallah on Wednesday the 25 th July in the Red Crescent Centre. This was oversubscribed and we spoke to a full audience of around 200 participants. The reception and feedback was enthusiastic. On Thursday Malik and Colin visited and toured the Istishari Hospital outside Ramallah and were incredibly impressed by the high quality of the building, the staff and the service provided. The Director honoured Colin for his contributions over 35 years to the Palestinian Health Sector. Another excellent meeting followed with the Minister of Health and the Deputy Minister and our many projects in the West Bank and Gaza were discussed at length. They both wanted support for a new Government Medical School in Hebron and Malik and Colin though hesitant agreed to explore the idea without making any commitment. Both were honoured by the Minister and presented with splendid mementos of their visit. Colin and Malik then made a visit to the British Council in Ramallah and had long talks with the new Director Martin Daltry and the Deputy Caroline Khalifi. After Colin returned home to the UK later that day , Malik stayed on for a further 3 weeks and again had a busy schedule.

IMET2000 Board of Trustees Mid-Summer Meeting

June, 2018

The IMET2000 Board of Trustees Mid-Summer Meeting was held in The Royal Society of Medicine in London. Kay Glendinning resigned officially after many years as Chair and in fact supporting the charity ever since it started in 2000. She was heartily thanked for all she had done to ensure the safety and success of IMET2000 over 18 years.Colin Green also resigned from his place on the Executive Committee and intends to return to academic life and use the time to research modern warfare, the arms trade and latest weaponry developments. We were all delighted to welcome Nick Maynard as the new Chairman of the Board and Kathryn Green and Dr Omar Abdelmannan as new Trustees to replace John Beavis and David Pegg both stepping down because of ill health. Both John and David have served IMET2000 for so many years and been such wise support for those at the coalface. We can only thank them again for such loyal service and hope their health improves. Colin introduced to the Board the two ladies recruited to replace him on the Executive Committee. Both were present. Mrs Julie Verne has accepted the post of Director of Development and Ms Heba Ghanem the role of Business Manager and Treasurer. We are delighted to welcome such talented ladies to our cause. We are also delighted that Harriet Paul has agreed to step back from her role as Director of Corporate Development and Events and stay on the Executive as Director of Events. The achievements of IMET2000 were reported by our CEO Malik Zaben on Palestine, Barry Fuller on Ukraine and Colin Green on Africa.

Mark Thomas: Showtime from the Frontline

April, 2018

April 21 st: Our loyal Patron, the entertainer and human rights activist Mark Thomas who has set up with some financial support from IMET2000 the Jenin Comedy Club together with 15 Palestinian actors toured their show ‘Showtime from the Frontline’ for over three weeks throughout the UK starting in Edinburgh late March to April 21st with himself and two Palestinian comic actors Faisal Abu Alhayjaa and Alaa Shehada. The tour virtually sold out in each venue with only a couple of exceptions and ended with a triumphant two week run in the Theatre Royal Stratford East. They had without exception brilliant revues including in national newspapers. We were so proud of their success especially as Mark really gave over the stage to the two Palestinians and made sure that their eclectic mix of jokes and satire about Palestinian life under occupation was the highlight and at the forefront of the programme. (http://www.stratfordeast.com/whats-on/all-shows/mark-thomas-showtime-from-the-frontline). Both actors have gone back to their homes in Jenin and are leading the other actors committed to growing the Comedy Club. This is another example of IMET2000 promoting Palestinian cultural activities where we think it is particularly important to the morale of a people under military occupation.

IMET2000 Annual Fundraising Dinner

February, 2018

The IMET2000 Annual Dinner took place in the Peers’ Dining Room at The House of Lords on Friday 2nd February, 2018 kindly hosted by The Baroness Jenny Tonge.

We were delighted to once again have a full house for the event and during the evening guests enjoyed wonderful entertainment from the UK’s leading comedy and satirical impressionist Rory Bremner and beautiful music from Tibah Saad who is part of The Galilee Quartet. Tibah played Bach’s Solo Cello Suite (Allemande Movement) and then sang Arab songs accompanied on the oud by the excellent Yousif Rabady.

Special guests on the night included Dr Nezam Abdalhlim, the President of the Palestinian Medical Association who together with Dr Malik Zaben, IMET2000 Chief Executive talked to the guests about the importance of IMET2000’s current projects. We were also pleased to have as our Palestinian guests Mr Bashar Ayaseh who we are supporting in Nottingham University for one year and Mrs Esra Hamdan who we support in her PhD studies in the University of East Anglia. IMET2000 would like to thank our event sponsor BB Energy as well as all those who supported the event so generously by taking a table or tickets, making a donation or pledge, donating or purchasing a prize.

We raised funds for the six projects shown below and happily the event was a great success reaching our target of £100,000.

• A New Neurological Unit in Gaza
• The Newly Established Advanced Trauma and Life Support (ATLS) Centre in Ramallah
• Child Mental Health Programme in Partnership with Palestinian NGO Rawan Association for Child Development
• One Year Support for Mr Bashar Ayaseh Studies in Nottingham University for MSc in Rehabilitation Physiotherapy Post Neurosurgery
• Support for Third Year of a Four Year Residency in Child Psychiatry in Jordan for Dr Amal Kamal
• Support for the First Year of a Four Year Residency in Child Psychiatry in Jordan for Dr Omar Al-Ashhab

IMET2000 and RAWAN Association Memorandum of Understanding

October 20, 2017

Our CEO Dr Malik Zaben, the Executive Director of Rawan Association Mrs Salam Asia and the Director of Development and Planning Mr Omar Al-Khateeb, signed up a memorandum of understanding for future collaboration. The two parties are looking forward to working together towards empowering Rawan’s charity members of staff with training courses to deal with kids with autism, ADHA and dyslexia. On the other hand IMET2000 team will be joining Rawan’s team in their campaigns in disadvantaged areas aiming to increase the awareness of the needs of these children.

IMET2000-PAL Organised workshop in Medical Research Methodology

September 24, 2017

On the 24th of September 2017, IMET2000-Pal organised a workshop in medical research methodology for the medical students at An-Najah University-Nablus. More than 450 students who are in their fourth, fifth and sixth year in medical college attended the workshop, which was conducted by Dr Malik Zaben, Clinical Lecturer and Researcher in Neurosurgery, Cardiff University, UK. The training enriched the knowledge of the attendees about types of medical research, the difference between a research and a clinical audit, the optimal way for their conduction and the best style in reading and writing scientific papers.

Training the Trainers (TtT) for Healthcare Professionals

September 1, 2017

In cooperation with Nursing and Midwifery Department at An-Najah National University, IMET2000-Pal organized training on how to be a good trainer “Training the Trainers (TtT) for Healthcare Professionals”. The workshop was attended by more than 35 clinical instructors from different governmental hospitals and private hospitals. The workshop aimed to bring audience to the moste up-to-date clinical teaching methods particularly focusing on small group teaching in the context of bedside training. Dr. Malik Zaben the CEO of IMET2000, Dr. Aida Alkaisi the Head of Nursing and Midwifery Department, Dr. Eman Al-Shaweesh and Mrs. Mahdia Kony (lecturers) from An-Najah National University were the speakers at this workshop.

IMET2000 CEO, 2 Doctors and 2 Nurses Participated in AMEE Meeting 2017, Helsinki

August 23, 2017

Our CEO Dr Malik Zaben, 2doctors and 2 nurses from Palestine attended the AMEE annual conference, Helsinki 25th-31st August 2017. The 4 delegates from Palestine have also attended the world class on medical education “ essential Skills on Medical Education (ESME)”. This conference is now established as the key meeting for all involved in medical and healthcare professions education including teachers, educationists, researchers, administrators and students. The conference provides an opportunity to network with others with similar interests, to hear and discuss the views of acknowledged experts, to take part in workshops and courses and to present your own work through a short communication or poster. AMEE conferences are held on a wide range of topical issues in medical and health care professions education.

Critical Core Training: Basic Life Support (BLS) for Physicians IX

July 26, 2017

July 26th, IMET 2000-PAL in co-operation with the American Arab University-Jenin organised the Critical Core Training: Basic Life Support (BLS) for Physicians IX. The workshop was attended by a number of physicians and medical students working at different hospitals in Palestine. This workshop was led by Mr Ayman Enaya (American Heart Association “AHA”) Instructor.

Critical Nursing Care Training: Hemodynamic Monitoring and Interpretation

July 18, 2017

On July the 18th 2017, IMET2000-Pal organised a Critical Nursing Care Training on Hemodynamic Monitoring, Measurement and Interpretation. The workshop was held at the Palestine Red Crescent Society- Al-Bireh- Ramallah and was attended by more than 35 nurses working in different governmental hospitals, Augusta Victoria Hospital and An-Najah National University Hospital. This workshop was led by Mr Osaid Rashid, a lecturer at Al-Quds University. The training focused on the normal cardiac anatomy and physiology and normal blood hemodynamics pressures inside the heart, understand the arterial blood pressure monitoring: Invasive and noninvasive methods, and recognise levelling and taking measurements from invasive measurement methods.

IMET 2000-PAL organised the 8th BLS workshop in Nablus

July 10, 2017

On the 10th of July and in co-operation with the Arab American University/ Jenin, IMET2000-PAL organised the eighth training in Basic Life Support (BLS) for doctors and nurses working at Al-Watani Governmental Hospital in Nablus. The workshop was led by Mr Bahaa Hamad (AHA). This training aimed to enrich the knowledge of the participants with latest updates and applications of cardiopulmonary resuscitation according to the guidelines of the American Heart Association.

IMET2000-Pal Workshop on Medical Research Methodology

April 18, 2017

On the 18th of April 2017, IMET2000-Pal organised a workshop on medical research methodology for the medical and postgraduate health sciences students. The workshop was held at Al-Quds University-Jerusalem, and was attended by 180 medical students. It was opened by Dr Dina Al-Bitar and led by our CEO, Dr Malik Zaben, Clinical Lecturer & Researcher in Neurosurgery, Cardiff University, UK. The training highlighted the importance of research in general and clinical research in particular in improving patients’ healthcare. In this workshop students were trained on how to conduct a clinical audit, formulate a research question and read/write a scientific paper. The workshop was concluded by an inspirational lecture in which Dr Zaben talked about his experience as an academic surgeon. The students feedback on the workshop was excellent. IMET2000 will support students who are interested in conducting research projects in the future.

IMET2000-PAL Organised a Training for Psychiatrists on Forensic psychiatry 

April 13, 2017

In collaboration with the Mental Health Unit in the Ministry of Health, IMET 2000-Pal organised a training for psychiatrists on forensic psychiatry on April the 13th, 2017. The workshop was held at the Directory of Health building – Ramallah and was attended by 12 psychiatrists from the different districts of the West Bank. It was led by Dr Hasanen Al-Taiar -Forensic Psychiatrist,Oxford, UK. The training focused on writing forensic psychiatric reports, expert witness and giving evidence in courts, risk assessment, mental capacity and power of attorney. IMET2000 was asked to organise training on these topics by the MoH Mental Health Department Director taken in consideration there relevance to psychiatry practice in Palestine.