Alim A-H Yacoub. Basrah University College of Medicine and Social Accountability: A Report of a Symposium on Health Development in Basrah Southern Iraq. Newsletter” Network of Community-Oriented Educational Institutions for Health Sciences, Issue no. 26, December 1996/January 1997, Pages 19-20

1. The Medical Journal of Tikrit University (1997);3:1-2
1
Medical Education : News, Letters, and Views
This section welcomes short news, letters, and views on aspects of medical
education from your institutes. Abridgments are expected for long
contributions.
Basrah University College of Medicine and Social Accountability: A
Report of a Symposium on Health Development in Basrah Southern
Iraq.
From: “Newsletter” Network of Community-Oriented Educational Institutions for Health
Sciences, Issue no. 26, December 1996/January 1997, Pages 19-20.
Basrah University College of
Medicine organized a two-day
symposium on “Health development in
Basrah Governorate, Southern Iraq” in
collaboration with the Directorate of
Health Service / Ministry of Health
during the period 24-25 April, 1996. The
symposium represents a step forward
on the path towards achieving the
college commitment of being socially
accountable. Social accountability is
now recognized as an aim which
medical colleges should aspire to
achieve by redirecting their education
research and service activities towards
addressing the priority health concerns
of the community they have to serve
(WHO: Defining and measuring social
accountability of medical schools, 1995).
Promotion of a spirit of alliance and
partnership with health authorities is
essential, a sina qua non, to achieve
this purpose.
The theme of the symposium was
to highlight how the collaboration
between the two partners, the Medical
College and the health authorities could
contribute to health development in
three interrelated domains presented in
three sessions namely, training of
medical students in field surveys,
applied research and innovations in
training medical students in primary
health care programmes.
Session I: Training of medical
students in field surveys
During the symposium the results
of population surveys carried out by
fourth year medical students during the
last four year were presented. Field
practice has been adopted by Basrah
Medical College as an essential
component of the training curriculum in
line with the Edinburgh Declaration on
medical education in 1988 which was
re-emphasized in the World Summit five
years later. So far four population
surveys have been carried out in
different areas of Basrah to assess the
health status of their population by
measuring selected indicators as infant
mortality, incidence of selected common
infectious diseases and utilization of
existing health services. Assessment of
the nutritional status of under-five-year
children was the aim of the fourth
survey. These surveys proved to be
very valuable in two different aspects:
1. By reorienting medical students
towards the community health needs
by providing a wider perspective on
the concept of health than that
provided by mere hospital-based
training. Such surveys are useful in
improving the social and
communicational skills of students.

2. 2
2. By providing feedback to the health
authorities about the health status of
the population and about the pattern
of utilization of preventive and
curative health services. The surveys
are usually planned and implemented
in collaboration with the health
authorities. The data gathered are
analyzed by medical students
themselves under the supervision of
the teaching staff of the Department
of Community Medicine. Results are
reported to the health authorities who
are requested to report on how
information provided could be of
benefit in consolidating health care
programmes.
Session II: Applied research
During the symposium research
work which has been carried out on a
contractual basis between Basrah
Medical College and health authorities
was also presented and means by
which such work could be invested in
health development were proposed.
Examples included results of a study on
health and social aspects of elderly at
home in Basrah, a case control study of
protective efficacy of BCG
immunization, evaluation of school
health services and a survey on the
prevalence of visual and hearing
handicaps among such children.
Session III: Primary health care and
medical education (a case study)
The third session of the
symposium included a case study of the
experience of the teaching staff of the
Departments of Pediatrics and
Community Medicine in teaching
primary health care programmes to the
fourth- and sixth-year medical students
their clinical and practical training. The
students were not only taught the
components of such programmes but
were also motivated to participate in
their implementation. For example, the
students were involved in educating
mothers during antenatal and postnatal
care about the importance and value of
breast feeding. They also participated in
vaccination programmes during the
national immunization days against
measles and polio or during the routine
immunization programme. The students
played an active role in helping the
medical and nursing staff at the
Maternity Hospital to acquire the “Baby
Friendly Hospital” title.
In conclusion, the symposium
proved to be a valuable forum for both
the Medical College in Basrah and
health authorities to sit together and to
lay the foundation for further
collaboration which could hopefully
expand to include the representatives of
the community, the private sector and
other departments directly or indirectly
involved in health development. Basrah
Medical College is determined to
address the priorities and societal health
needs of the community it serves by
promoting a spirit of alliance and
partnership with all those concerned.
From : Prof. Dr. Alim A-H Yacoub, Dean,
University of Basrah, College of Medicine,
Basrah, Iraq.