Palestinian Minister of Health Dr. Majed Abu Ramadan said, "The great technical development that we witnessed during our visit to the laboratories of the Arab American University is a source of pride for the health education system in Palestine, and constitutes a good basis for teaching students the latest sciences and training."
This came during the minister’s visit to the campus of the Arab American University in the city of Ramallah to view the medical and health services provided by the University to the local community and students, through laboratories, centers and factories.
Minister Abu Ramadan was received by the founding Chairman of the Board of Directors of the University, Dr. Yousef Asfour, the Acting President of the University, Dr. Bara Asfour, members of the Board of Directors of the University, Ms. Manal Zureiq, and Eng. Anwar Al-Badawi, the Vice President of the University for Ramallah Campus Affairs, Prof. Dr. Mohammad Asia, and the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at the University, Dr. Malik Zaben, with the presence of the member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Prof. Dr. Ali Zedan Abu Zuhri, the former Minister of Health, Dr. Mai Al-Kaila, the Head of the Doctors Syndicate, Dr. Shawqi Sabha, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Wael Al-Sheikh, the Assistant Undersecretary for Supportive Medical Services, Mr. Osama Al-Najjar, the Director of Al-Makassed Hospital, Dr. Omar Abu Zaida, and the Executive Director of the Palestinian National Institute of Public Health at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Rand Salman.
At the beginning of the meeting, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Arab American University, Dr. Yousef Asfour, welcomed His Excellency the Minister of Health, and praised the efforts made by the Ministry in raising awareness, health and medical services and what it provides to the Palestinian people, stressing that the Ministry is one of the main pillars of the Palestinian state. He appreciated the joint cooperation between the Ministry and the Arab American University, hoping that the cooperation will continue, especially since the University has laboratories, health and medical centers and a factory for prosthetics with advanced devices and international scientific specifications.
Dr. Asfour added that these laboratories, centers and factory provide services to the Palestinian public in addition to contributing to educating students to be empowered when they move to the labor market. He stressed that the University is in continuous development and seeks to develop its facilities and faculties to reach international standards.
For his part, the acting president of the University, Dr. Bara Asfour, said, "The visit of the Minister of Health to the Arab American University increases our determination to provide services to the public and students through medical and health laboratories, a prosthetics factory, rehabilitation centers for physical therapy and occupational therapy, and the University medical rehabilitation complex". He noted that these facilities, with the efforts and support of the University's board of directors, are greatly developed and contain devices with advanced international specifications, including unique devices.
Dr. Asfour made clear that since the University was established, it has set three goals, including providing services to the local community, and this goal has been achieved, and the University seeks to develop it with everything new, in addition to its focus on medical specialties that the Palestinian community needs, as well as to create specialties in other unique faculties that the Palestinian market lacks. He noted that the University has recently established anatomy laboratories affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine on the University campus in Ramallah, in addition to the presence of similar laboratories on the University campus in Jenin.
Dr. Asfour expressed the University's readiness to cooperate with all Palestinian institutions, and said, "We look forward to cooperating with the Ministry of Health to benefit from the University's medical facilities to provide its services to the Palestinian public."
For his part, Minister of Health Dr. Majed Abu Ramadan said, "The great technical development that we witnessed during our visit to the laboratories of the Arab American University represents a source of pride for the health education system in Palestine, and constitutes a good basis for teaching students the latest sciences and training."
He added, "We work within an integrated system in the Ministry of Health with other ministries, universities and relevant sectors, in a way that enhances health education in its various fields, develops students' capabilities and prepares their knowledge to work in the field effectively. This is to ensure the development of health services provided to our people," stressing the major role played by the Palestinian leadership and government in developing various health programs, including the educational program for students, enhancing the capabilities of working staffs and exchanging experiences, to reach a high-quality health service provided within the Ministry's humanitarian duty to the Palestinian people.
The visit included a tour by the Minister of Health, Dr. Abu Ramadan, and the attendees to the laboratories and centers at the Arab American University, Ramallah campus.
This was followed by a meeting between the Minister of Health and students of the Faculty of Medicine at the University, where he was welcomed by the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Malik Zaben, who pointed out that the aim of the meeting is to benefit from the scientific and practical experience of the Minister of Health and transfer it to medical students, and provide them with advice, explaining that the Faculty is in the process of implementing many meetings with figures with scientific and practical experience from whom students can benefit.
The Minister said during the meeting, "Students are the most important segment in the country, because you are the future and health security of Palestine". He thanked the University for what it offers, expressing his admiration for what he saw during the visit, in terms of scientific, practical and academic development and progress, and provided a number of tips to the students, whether during their study period or during their transition to the labor market. Then, he talked about his scientific and practical journey, wishing the students success in their academic journey.
