Caring for the Muslim Syrian Patient

1. Caring for the Muslim Syrian Patient
Wasan and Asim Abu-Baker
May 8th, 2017

2. My Story with Syrian Refugees

3. Sharing the Same Language, Religion, and
Culture

4. Member of the Same Community here in
Fresno

5. Syrian Religion

6. Syrian Culture

7. Syrian Food

8. Friendship

9. Support

10. American Friends Service Committee – Pan
Valley Institute

11. Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries
FIRM
• Services we offer :
• 1- Resettlement:
• Housing
• Furnishing : partnership with Wings .
• Necessitates : Clothes, Food, Medicine
• 2- Enrolling the kids at School .
• 3- Vaccination
• 4- Healthcare
• 5- Translation
• 6- Transportation
• 7-ESL : partnership with The Linguistic Department At Fresno States
• 8-Driving Lessons
• 9-Welfare appointments
• 10-Jobs
• 11-Citezenship
• 12-Sponsorship
• 13-Scholarships
• 14-Legal services

12. Integration

13. Find us on Facebook
• Donations accepted through:
• Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries (FIRM)
• The Islamic Cultural Center Of Fresno (ICCF)

14. Thank you Fresno
Thank you for helping to provide refugees and
their families opportunities to rebuild their lives.

15. Caring for the Muslim Syrian Patient
Asim M. Abu-Baker, Pharm.D.
May 8th, 2017

16. What would you do if?
• Walk into a room and patient is
huddled on the floor?
• What if his name was Jim Smith?
• What if his name was Seyyed Khan?
• Why was he doing what he was
doing?

18. Dietary Issues
• Pork products and alcohol are
forbidden
–May avoid medications that contain these,
however, if medically necessary or life-saving
they may – gelatin

19. Fasting for Ramadan
• The Fast begins just before sunrise and no
food or drink can be consumed
• The fast ends at local sunset times

20. Who is Exempt From Fasting?
• Children under the age of puberty
• People who are mentally incapacitated or not
responsible for their actions
• The elderly
• The chronically ill
• Travellers who are on journeys of > 50 miles
• Pregnant women and nursing mothers
• Women who are menstruating
• Those who are temporarily unable to fast must make
up missed days or feed the poor

21. Gender Issues
• Modesty is important for many
Muslim women
–Some prefer same gender providers
• Don’t shake hands or hug a patient of
the opposite sex unless patient
initiates (applies to both men and
women)

22. Sex and Contraception
• Premarital sex is prohibited
• Contraception within a marriage is
permitted as long as it does not do
damage and is reversible (vasectomy
is not allowed)
• All fertility agents are permitted – as
long as sperm and egg are from the
parents

23. Abortion
• Not permitted unless
–Harm to the mother
–Fetus suffers from lethal condition
–Non-lethal conditions (hydrocephaly, spina
bifida, down syndrome) – very controversial
and generally not valid
–Rape or incest

24. Disclosure and Informed Consent
• Sometimes family wants to disclose
serious issues slowly – what do you
do about it?
• HIPAA, malpractice, etc.

25. Death and Dying
• Suicide, euthanasia, and assisted
suicide prohibited
• Medicine and technology can be used
to improve patient life – but generally
not to keep patient in a vegetative
state

26. General Perceptions and Background
of Syrian Refugees in Fresno
• Education
• Health Care Perception
–Western Medicine
–Respect for the physician (the MD)
–Focus on immediate/emergency
medical needs

27. Health Conditions and Medical Care
Priorities
• Medical interpreters
• Lack of primary care and chronic
disease management for years
• Immunizations
• Reproductive health
• Tuberculosis

28. Health Conditions and Medical Care
Priorities
• Anemia and nutrition
• Dental care
• Tobacco use
• Mental Illness
• Adherence to care and follow up