BAHA
British Armenian Health Association
3rd International Symposium of Family Physicians
Yerevan, 8-9 October 2015
AMA-GB members assisted in the delivery of an update course for Armenian GPs (known as family physicians in the Republic). The International Symposium of Family Medicine, as it is called, was held for the third year running and it is now established as an annual event. It is the result of collaboration between the Family Medicine Academic Society, the Yerevan State Medical University after M Heratsi, the AMA-GB and the East Anglian Faculty of the Royal College of GPs.
New members Drs Mary Chorbadjian and Alicia Dermijian joined veterans Seta Boghossian-Tigh and Kevork Hopayian, on the panel of speakers. The panel included our long time colleagues from Sweden, Raffi Boroian and Henrik Shahnazarian, and from the USA, Lorky Libaridian.
Mary, a GP, was born in Cyprus and graduated in England. Alicia was born in Lebanon and has just come to England from the USA. She is a paediatrician and public health doctor. Alicia has also joined the committee of AMA.
Any fears that the popularity of the event may have lessened after the novelty of the first ever such course were quelled when large cohorts of participants turned up at the last minute. Over 500 participants filled the hall. Lively discussions followed the presentations.
Clinical skills teaching
The teaching faculty of the Symposium, from the left: Alicia, Henrik, Mary, Seta, Marina, Armine, Raffi, Lorky and Kevork
There were further teaching events after the course. Alicia and Seta participated in practical skills training to a group of family physicians. They worked alongside Raffi, Henrik, and Lorky on topics such as joint injections and resuscitation. Kevork spoke at the 95th anniversary celebration of the foundation of YSMU after M Hratsi. The topic was the scientific method underpinning medicine.
During our trip, we deepened our ties with our existing partners forged some new links. We discovered that the legal entity for professional associations is the non-governmental organisation, NGO. We learnt that there are many NGOs connected to health in Armenia. There is not, however, a single entity that is inclusive of all family physicians or all medical practitioners as we have in Great Britain. We have deepened our relationships with a few of the NGOs such as FMAS and Children of Armenia Fund. We have made a new contact, the Armenian Association of Young Doctors, an umbrella organisation of enthusiastic doctors encompassing all specialties. On 13 October, AMA-GB and the AAYD signed a Memorandum of Understanding to provide support for their aims to improve the professional position of health care workers and to improve the health service in Armenia.
By keeping up these relationships and collaborations, AMA-GB will do what it can to help progress in health in the republic. We are in this for the long run.