Shatila Camp for Palestinian refugees entices students' help

By Ghia Osseiran---

Doctors and medical students from the American University of Beirut in coordination with the Palestinian Red Crescent, galvanized by a pressing need for change, volunteered both their time and medical expertise in an Outreach Community Clinic in Shatila Camp, widening the scope of medical training available at AUB-MC, while simultaneously providing ShatilaÕs impoverished people with health care services free of charge. The clinic officially first opened its door to patients two Saturdays ago, on October 6, from 9am to 4pm in the Palestinian Red Crescent headquarters in Shatila Camp, home to the 1982 massacre that killed an estimated 2750 Palestinians as revealed by the International Committee of the Red Cross. The Palestinian Red Crescent, an NGO dedicated to emergency cases, donated a part of its headquarters for the clinicÕs use every Saturday, later on to be expanded to include Tuesday afternoons as well. Seven month ago a ÒGroup of Five,Ó as they referred to themselves, began convening on regular basis in pursuit of a tangible plan for an abstract desire to change things despite the prevalent atmosphere of lethargy and recession. ÒIÕm only trying to say that there still is hope. Things are not as immune to change as we think them to be,Ó said one member of the Group of Five, a journalist, who preferred to remain anonymous. ÒWe did not feel we were doing anything to change this situation that is only urging people to quit and leave rather than to stay and attempt to change things,Ó explained Dr Salam Sbaity also pertaining to the Group of Five in cooperation with two others Drs, Patricia Dandach and Abbas Kanso. The group in its search for an appropriate place to open a clinic was seeking a medically under served, low socioeconomic area accessible to Beirut. Shatila, situated in Southern Beirut surrounded by Ghobeyri, Ouzai and Sabra, seemed to satisfy all three criteria thereby marking the groupÕs starting point. For the project not to be contingent upon the founding members, the project was systematized when the group of five that brainstormed the project evolved into a co-joint committee between the Student Representative Council (SRC) of Medicine and the Resident Staff Organization (RSO). In early July, a proposal for the formation of this clinic was then handed to the University Student Faculty Committee (USFC) that allolcated $10 000 for the project the following month, with another $5000 pending on whether the Outreach Clinic managed to fund-raise $5000 for itself first. The money raised would be used for medications, medical equipment, lab tests, the transportation of patients from the clinic to AUH-Out Patient Department (OPD) when necessary, plus the OPD costs themselves. Haytham Kaakarani, a med III student and head of the personnel subcommittee in the SRC-RSO co-joint committee, explained the procedure for personnel recruitment. The sub committeefor personnel recruitment distributed brochures and applications through boxes and persons until news of the Outreach Clinic spread was dispersed throughout the entire AUB MC community. Many people were enthusiastic about the idea particularly the attending, who even though were crammed in schedule, made the time to come and help out in the clinic. President of the Syndicate of Doctors, Dr Mahmoud Shoukeir for instance, paid the clinic a visit on October 6 marking its opening. Dr Thurayya Arayssi, Head of Division of Rheumatology and Program Director of Internal Medicine Residency Program, volunteered treating patients the following Saturday October 13. ÒThis is our community and we all feel we have to help out. We have the expertise that we should, I think, disperse all over our community,Ó said Dr Arayssi who was also contemplating the possibility of making this volunteer work an elective course with credits, to be offered for Medical Students. The Outreach Clinic chose to work within the frame of AUB medical students in coordination with the Palestinian Red Crescent rather than through the United Nations Work and Relief Agency (UNRWA) because the latter only targeted the registered Palestinian population constituting 12,392 refugees living in Shatila. This excludes the non- registered Palestinian refugees and the non- Palestinian refugees constituting 40% of the campÕs population, under served medically. The Outreach ClinicÕs target population on the other hand was poverty itself cutting across nationalities and legalities. ÒWe targeted the poorer population because we wanted to be able to implement changes in spite of the national and international recession taking place,Ó said Dr Salam Sbaity, a member of Òthe Group of FiveÓ and the president of the SRC-RSO joint committee. The clinicÕs next step will be to increase the working days, opening not only on Saturdays but on Tuesday afternoons as well. The Palestinian Red Crescent welcomed this initiative on the part of the enthusiastic Drs and Medical students, though not without its doubts. ÒThe Palestinian Red Crescent did not trust we were coming. WeÕd ask for advertising and they wouldnÕt do it; weÕd take an appointment and they wouldnÕt show up,Ó noted Sanjakdar. ÒTrust however,Ó he acknowledged, Òneeds time to be built a step at a time.Ó Saleh Maarouf of the Palestinian Red Crescent agreed stating that, Òthe initiative is well done however it does require some patience.Ó Abed Salameh, one of the patientÕs opinion was that this initiative, Òis very positive. I wish all charity organizations could do a job as commendable as this one as this people needs as much aid as possible,Ó said Salameh in Arabic.