News Item: Iraq's Doctors

[KMATTOX at aol.com]

Ron, Pret,  others,    I have read the posts on this  subject with great 
interest.   My following comments come from being a  student of surgical history 
and from having been in many middle east countries,  to include Iraq and 
Baghdad Medical City (associated with the University of  Baghdad Medical School)  in 
1979.   I have many close medical and  surgical friends throughout the Middle 
East from Turkey through Egypt to  Azerbaijan to Pakistan and Saudi Arabia 
and on through the Emirates.   
 
First.   The United States does not have a monopoly on good  doctors !  We 
have had an infrastructure which allows  us to have  equipment, structure, 
sutures, personnel, and support.    Many  other countries also have these amenities 
along with visionary physicians and  education, often at much less cost due 
to less regulation, liability, overhead,  and administrative costs.    
 
Second.   Many of the fantastically talented doctors in the  United States 
come from the many countries of the Middle East, including Iraq,  Palestine, 
Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Iran and many  more.   The countries of 
the Indian sub continent have also supplied  the United States with many of our 
finest physicians.   Physicians  from those countries are also leaders in 
returning high quality medicine and  other leadership to their parent countries.   
 Some of the most  technically adept and insightful teachers and medical 
leaders in Houston are  from the Middle East, including Iraq, some having come to 
Houston before the  Bath party was formed.   Many of them have had families 
that died or  were tortured under that regime.  
 
Third.   Historically, many of the worlds greatest physicians  were from the 
Middle East, including leadership in surgical instruments, public  health, 
ophthalmology, mathematics, and many other areas of science.    A description of 
circulation, including the importance of the pulmonary circuit  was described 
by a Middle East physician almost 100 years BEFORE Harvey, but was  lost until 
early in the last century, and still has not received the   credit for the 
importance of its description.  
 
Fourth.   The physicians, especially surgeons of the world are  very similar 
in our technical and thinking ability.   Some have access  to later discussion 
of new knowledge and have better infrastructure.    We also have similar 
thoughts about the dignity of mankind and respect for good  health.   That is our 
creed and dedication.    
 
One only has to go to a medical conference in another country to appreciate  
the native ability and intellect potential of our colleagues.     We all 
continue to hungry for new knowledge and a desire to apply it to our  patients.   
We all are victims of our former training and teachers and  without 
communications, such as here on this list server etc, we all would  remain treating 
patients with past knowledge.    Remember it was  not until the 1990s, that we 
re-stumbled upon the concepts of damage control,  permissive hypotension,  planned 
reoperation, etc. etc.   
 
May each today find reflection in the many things that we have to be  
thankful for.
 
k