On a Mission

We clinicians belong to various Societies according to our specialties. We are all, however, members of one society ‘The Coptic Medical Society’ suggesting that we share something in common. What we share is one and the same vision: that we are all on a mission in our profession. That mission is to serve our fellow human beings to the best of our ability. In this, we are copying the founder of our Society ‘Lord Jesus’.

The main objective behind having a Coptic  Society is to highlight the principles of our services which we inherited from the Head of our Society. We had to go through studies and exams in the same way as He was examined at the end of the forty day fast,. After He passed the tests He started His mission as a multi-skilled physician.  Although we have learned that our ancestors the pharaohs were highly specialised in medicine, hundreds of years later came the multi-talented Healer. This non-specialist, multi-talented ability also demonstrates the difference between his unique nature and that of any contemporary physician.

He was a dermatologist who healed the lepers

He was an ophthalmologist who made the blind see and created eyes for those born blind

He was an ENT surgeon who healed the ear of Malchos, the servant of the archpriest, after Peter cut it with his sword. He also touched the ear of the deaf and dumb and they heard and spoke.

He was a neurologist who healed the paralytic

He was a talented gynaecologist who cured the woman with a bleeding uterus.

He was a psychiatrist who treated many of those described by contemporaries as being mad.

As a paediatric psychologist He embraced the children, gave them love and took away their anxiety.

He was a cardiologist who cured Jyros’s daughter who was presented to him with what sounds like cardiac coma, if not death.

Proving that His unique nature was what allowed Him to do all the above, He raised Lazarus from the dead after 4 days.

Finally, He was a great academic who had learned the books and scriptures well and used them as guidelines and an evidence base for his practice. In addition, He put His views and hypotheses forward. ‘You heard….I say to you….’

Ladies and gentlemen, we are privileged to belong to this association and to be called by the Founder of the society to walk on the same path as he took, accepting that in our profession we are ‘on a mission’ to serve, comfort and alleviate pain of humanity.

  Michael Henein

Saturday 21st February 2009

Trustees annual report for the year ending 31st March 2008
 
A combined Annual general and trustees meeting was held in Birmingham on 14/12/2008.
The meeting was attended by the following doctors:
Fayek Youssef, Magda Youssef, Essam Dimitry, Maria Dimitry, Isis Neoman, Monier Neoman, Kamel Sharobeem, Magdy Labib, Afaf Labib, Father John Albair, Hebba Asaad, Mervat Labib.
Appologies were sent by the following doctors:
Nabil Raphael, Michael Georgy, Samia Samy, Magdi Bassilious, Magdy Michael.
 
In the meeting:
1- Approval of last year minutes record.
2- Approval of the accounts treasurer’s report presented by Essam Dimitry.
3- How to encourage juniors to use medicine to serve God and people? Doctors are in touch with people in the desperate need of sickness. It is sometimes the best and last opportunity. It is important that we can listen, help, guide and the patients will feel the love of God. The concept of the mission is sometimes wrong in the views of some. Some feel that they have to leave medicine to go to Africa? Our mission is within our profession. Books, audiovisuals, famous Christian doctors should be part of our web site. Dr. Hebba Asaad was nominated and agreed to take an active role in leading the junior medical society activity with the help of Dr. Mary Salama and Maria Dimitry.
4- How to serve doctors (both medical students and doctors) spiritually, socially and medically was an issue the CMS was keen to establish in its activities. Last year in the combined Annual general and trustees meeting (December 2007), Kamel Sharobeem, Samia Samy, Father John Albair and Maria or Claire were nominated. Everybody was grateful for the Centre Park very successful meeting which achieved our goals. Everybody welcomed this Easter meeting of the doctors and their families becomes an annual meeting. Kamel Sharobeem kindly agreed to lead it once more to which everyone was grateful.
5- Magdy Michael was taking the role of increasing the number of members & collecting  e-mails for ease of contact with the members.
6- Thanks to M Bassilious for the excellent CMS leaflet of activity.
7- Bishop Paul of Africa is grateful for the medical equipment (£70000 ) which was sent to Africa. He reported to the Chairman that every piece of equipment was being efficiently used to serve the community in Africa through his three now established hospitals. He also asked for doctors help and expertise to serve in those hospitals.
8- St Mina hospice, Fleming, Alexandria (£50000 ) is now in the final stages to help in palliative care, pain relief, physiotherapy. The roof garden and activity hall for day surgery have now been completed.Obstacles are being sorted regarding the release of equipment and furniture from customs in Alexandria.  
9- New trustees are proposed:
                                                   1- Dr Mary Salama.
                                                   2- Mark Gossa
10- The meeting members were particularly grateful to Fayek and Magda for hosting the meeting.
 

Help Needed

THIS IS HOW YOU CAN HELP

There are two exciting opportunities you might be interested in:

1.      To join a team who visits Egypt on a yearly basis to see patients in deprived areas, as well as visit monasteries and convents to see patients there.  These trips have been taking place for the last 10 years.

     A group of Coptic doctors from America (The Christian Coptic Health Professionals (CCHP) California USA)
visit Egypt every November for about 10 days.

  Last November they stayed for 2 days in Sohag, 2 days on El Menya and other deprived areas. An example of work being done included a pain relief specialist who was able to administer various nerve blocks and epidural for chronic pain. There is particular need for expertise from a rheumatologist, a dermatologist and preferably a female gynaecologist, as well as other specialties.  The emphasis is on clinical management and reassurance, making use of tests the patients have already had in the hospitals. 

This year the team was joined by Sami El-Oskoff, a British trained urologist, who now lives in Egypt.  He both enjoyed and felt that the 10 days were a worthwhile exercise.  If you are interested the trip is taking place in November 2009.

Co-ordinator is Magdi Mikhael:   Tel: 0019097309986

                                                      Email: mmmagdi@yahoo.com

2.      To become a hospital manager, to run one of the hospitals that Bishop Boulos looks after in Africa.  Ideally, the candidate will be clinically trained and have expertise in management.  If you are approaching retirement or have just retired, why not consider a year in Africa running a hospital?

Bishop Boulos was very grateful for all the equipment that the Coptic Medical Society donated, in particular the ultrasound and theatre equipment. A medical engineer managed to operate all the machines, which were distributed between Kenya and other African countries.

The society would like to thank Magdi Basillious for his outstanding contribution in supporting the hospitals in Africa.   

 - جيناتي مصرية ومصر أمي أزورها عشر مرات سنويا ً
- تركت مصر لعوامل جذب في الخارج أكثر منها عوامل طرد في مصر.
- لديَّ رئيسين في العمل هما المرضى والعلم.
- علاقتي بالمرضى علاقة إنسانية لا تنقطع أبداً.
- حزن والدي على أخته ووفاتها بسبب القلب دفعني للتخصص في هذاالعلم.