“Mesopotamia Health Days” Conference Diyarbakir, Turkey - 22-24/10/2009

The story began with a group of Kurdish physicians in diaspora (especially from Germany) and Diyarbakir Chamber of Physicians, who conducted an exploratory visit to Iraqi Kurdistan Region in 2008 aiming to find channels of cooperation, coordination and mutual collaboration between the doctors from different parts of Kurdistan.

Subsequently, the Directorate General of Health in Duhok arranged an organized and detailed ten-day schedule of visit activities that enabled them to meet most of the political and health decision-makers in the three Governorates of Iraqi Kurdistan. During the visit, an idea about organizing a Kurdish-speaking Health Conference in Diyarbakir was mushroomed that encompasses doctors from different parts of Kurdistan and diaspora as well.

We do confess that the idea was merely a dream and a hope that we long craved to be achieved. Fortunately, the group was determined, enthusiastic and courageous enough to make this dream a reality and to conduct a successful, well planned and organized conference in the historic city of Diyarbakir during the period from 22nd to 24th of October, 2009.

The conference was attended by almost 400 Kurdish physicians and participants from different countries, as well as a number of reverent friends of Kurdish people from other nationalities.

The scientific part of the Conference consisted of eight sessions that covered a wide variety of health problems and issues. Two of these sessions (the third and the sixth) were chaired by Duhok delegation members namely Dr. Abdullah Saeed and Dr. Abdullah Jasem respectively.

The social part of the conference was even more interesting and it included activities relevant to Diyarbakir’s rich, ancient heritage and genuine culture.

The conference and due to its unique and exceptional importance from both time and place of conduction points of view received an extraordinary media coverage and has been announced in many satellite channels, newspapers, radios and local televisions.

In addition, the conference was perceived very positively and regarded as a big thrust in raising the spirits, self confidence and satisfaction of the local and medical Diyarbakir’s community.

The Duhok Governorate participated by a five- member delegation: (Dr. Fadel Omer, the Head of Governorate Council, Dr. Abdullah Saeed Abdullah, and the Director General of Health, Dr. Ahmad Mokhtar Ali, and the Head of Physicians Syndicate in Duhok, Dr. Abdullah Jasem Rajab, the Director of Continuing Medical Education Center and Dr. Nezar Esmat, the Director of Mental Health Center). Colleagues from Erbil and Sulemani were among the participants.

At the end, the participants were called to decide for whether, when and where to conduct the next conference. The Duhok delegation through an influent speech by Dr. Abdullah Saeed showed its willingness to host the next conference in Duhok but the steering committee favored to repeat the conference once more in Diyarbakir and the third one to be in Kurdistan Region / Iraq.

The members of Duhok delegation would like to express their great gratitude and thankfulness to all those involved in making this dream a reality especially the organizing committee, the mayor of Diyarbakir, his Excellency (Osman Baydemir) for their great hospitality, friendship, kindness and extra care given to us.