London: AMA attends British Islamic Medical Association conference

This week, AMA’s London team attended the British Islamic Medical Association conference held in London’s Aldersgate.
The team formally launched the ‘One Village, One Well’ campaign, which aims to supply over 200 villages around Africa with a water well or borehole by the end of the year.
As well as talking to attendees about the various health concerns caused as a result of contaminated water, the team also used the conference to shed light on the medical needs in two medical facilities AMA is supporting in Kabul, Afghanistan and Arsaal, Lebanon.
The conference theme this year was ‘the future of health’ and with various panels taking place, centered on various topics from mental health, to Muslim women in leadership and tech entrepreneurship.
Over 250 people attended the conference, with many visiting AMA’s stall to learn more about the specific medical needs in countries AMA has a presence in.
One of the hospital’s AMA is supporting is located in the Pole Charkhi district of Kabul City, Afghanistan and serves over 500,000 people despite being small and underequipped.
The hospital, established in 2017, receives little to no electricity making the treatment of patients difficult. As well as having only a small number of beds and around 40 doctors, the hospital also lacks necessary equipment such as digital x-ray machines, ultrasound machines and oxygen concentrators.
AMA shared case studies from the hospital with the attendees, in an effort to garner support.
Attendees at the event were also able to learn more about the Medical Centre of Aarsal in Lebanon which was established in 2015 and provides medical care for refugees. The hospital receives around 66,000 cases annually, however as a result of the economic crisis, impacts because of Covid-19 and debt accumulated by Syrian refugees, many can’t afford treatment.
Staff at the hospital have also raised concerns about the lack of equipment including anesthesia, orthopedic consumables, medication and a respirator.
AMA was able to raise awareness about the various medical and water-related needs at the conference as well as provide more information about the new campaign to bring water wells and boreholes to Africa.