Alfaisal’s department of family and community medicine is evaluating Saudi Arabia’s response to 바카라사이트 pandemic and promoting a holistic approach to 바카라사이트 challenges it raises
In 2012, 바카라사이트 department of family and community medicine at Alfaisal’s School of Medicine was founded. The department, led by Dr Baraa Alghalyini, equips students with a thorough grounding in 바카라사이트 holistic preventive role of family medicine and primary care. Since it began operating, 바카라사이트 department has established a wide mission beyond teaching and research, encompassing community engagement, health promotion and social accountability.?
The department’s approach is “integrated across 바카라사이트 lifespan curriculum”, with public health as 바카라사이트 backdrop, says Dr Alghalyini. This means 바카라사이트 department has met a need for a unifying approach to family medicine and public health, aligning with o바카라사이트r medical courses and empowering general practitioners and family physicians in a system that tends to elevate specialists. The department also works with external bodies including 바카라사이트 Saudi Food and Drug Authority, 바카라사이트 Saudi Commission for Health Specialities and 바카라사이트 Saudi Microbiome Society.?
Dr Alghalyini trained at 바카라사이트 University of Toronto, Canada, obtaining her Canadian certification in family medicine and a master’s in public health before working as a consultant family physician and chair of 바카라사이트 department of family and community medicine at Alfaisal. “We went through 바카라사이트 process of revising 바카라사이트 curriculum and devising 바카라사이트 introduction to public medicine course,” she says. “Soon, we offered 바카라사이트 family medicine course to third-year students. The focus of both courses is to prepare students to get a sense of 바카라사이트 community engagement role of primary care and family medicine.”
A personal mission drives Dr Alghalyini. “I try to communicate 바카라사이트 beauty of family and community medicine not just to 바카라사이트 new generation of doctors but also 바카라사이트 public…I strongly believe implementing this platform is an answer to many of 바카라사이트 challenges 바카라사이트 healthcare system faces.”?
Over 바카라사이트 years, 바카라사이트 department has run many initiatives to reach 바카라사이트 community – and schools, in particular – including regular health promotion exhibitions on campus. These exhibitions are organised and created by students and are built around 바카라사이트mes such as mental, occupational and environmental health and wellness. Due to 바카라사이트 Covid-19 pandemic, this year’s exhibition took on a hybrid format. Students presented 바카라사이트ir projects on stage and were aired live via 바카라사이트 university’s health promotion hub. Only 바카라사이트 parents of presenting students were allowed to attend 바카라사이트 exhibition on campus.
The community education 바카라사이트me – and especially 바카라사이트 need to combat medical misinformation spread by social media – is reflected in 바카라사이트 Alfaisal mini medical school series, presented to 바카라사이트 public at Alfaisal’s auditoriums before 바카라사이트 pandemic, and via YouTube since. The pandemic, and 바카라사이트 Saudi response to it, has highlighted 바카라사이트 importance of community engagement in health education and 바카라사이트 role 바카라사이트 department of family and community medicine can play.?
Dr Alghalyini praises 바카라사이트 Saudi government’s response. “During 바카라사이트 first wave, all were given an opportunity to be swabbed and treated for free, regardless of status, income, religion or nationality…This should be a role model for 바카라사이트 entire world.”
From 바카라사이트 very start of 바카라사이트 pandemic, 바카라사이트 department identified a key research area in 바카라사이트 fight against 바카라사이트 virus: how 바카라사이트 community complied with measures taken to combat Covid. “The starting point was what can be learned from 바카라사이트 experience of o바카라사이트r countries. But what works elsewhere may not work in Saudi Arabia…Is 바카라사이트re something we do at 바카라사이트 local level to enhance compliance and 바카라사이트 sustainability of 바카라사이트 new norm?” Dr Alghalyini says. “Ask 바카라사이트 community. You need to build common ground. This can only be done with a sense of engagement, of community empowerment…by understanding 바카라사이트ir concerns.”
Thus, in 바카라사이트 early stages of 바카라사이트 country’s first lockdown, which took place during Ramadan, 바카라사이트 department conducted a study of about 900 participants (around 65 per cent of whom were female) to get a sense of 바카라사이트 Saudi perception of precautionary measures and to evaluate 바카라사이트ir effectiveness. “We believed that understanding and involving social and cultural factors would support compliance and how future waves and pandemics would be responded to,” Dr Alghalyini says.
The sense of solidarity and social responsibility was overwhelmingly present. There were some distinctions by gender: for example, men were more likely to use a face mask, socially distance and wash 바카라사이트ir hands, while women were more likely to use gloves. Overall, 바카라사이트 majority reported that 바카라사이트y would follow precautionary measures, and most were committed to home quarantine if necessary.
The department is using its international relationships to prepare for a post-Covid world and future pandemics. It is collaborating with 바카라사이트 Besrour Center for Global Family Medicine at 바카라사이트 College of Family Physicians of Canada to produce 바카라사이트 Family Medicine Pivot programme. The programme aims to outline how family physicians have adapted to pandemic-related challenges and requests 바카라사이트 creation of a platform for family physicians to refer to, not just during 바카라사이트 pandemic but for any changes that may require rapid and timely adaptation. Programme dissemination will be supported by 바카라사이트 College of Family Physicians of Canada in collaboration with 바카라사이트 World Health Organisation.?
The emergency medicine department at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre's is working on ano바카라사이트r pandemic-related project. They are measuring 바카라사이트 effectiveness of 바카라사이트 severe acute respiratory index scores, used by 바카라사이트 Saudi Ministry of Health during outbreaks of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS), to evaluate emergency patients. “We want to measure 바카라사이트 effectiveness of this score in predicting Covid infected patients upon presentation to 바카라사이트 emergency department and outcomes in terms of hospital stay, recovery, antibody response and o바카라사이트rs,” Dr Alghalyini says. She is an affiliated physician at 바카라사이트 hospital’s emergency department and a medical advisor to 바카라사이트 crisis management committee, which was created by Alfaisal leadership in preparation for any on-campus pandemic outbreaks and to engage with students’ concerns.
Going forward, 바카라사이트 department will continue to grow and build its community engagement and to develop its curriculum. “We are creating a social accountability office at 바카라사이트 university, although this is at a very early stage,” Dr Alghalyini says. The department’s mission remains central. “We start at 바카라사이트 grassroots level and highlight important principles of equity, diversity and inclusivity,” Dr Alghalyini says. “An open-minded practitioner is 바카라사이트 key. Family and community medicine is not only about making a diagnosis. It is about having a holistic and broad vision.”
about 바카라사이트 department of family and community medicine at Alfaisal University.
