JMAP 2022 - Where, What and Why?
The Essentials.
Stethoscope and scrubs to do the work.
Textbook to brush up on the lexicon.
Passport to get there.
Jordanian Dinars to purchase my visa on arrival.
iPhone with Jordanian sim card loaded with unlimited data - thanks Dad!
I wouldn’t consider myself much of a blogger, if one at all. In fact this is my first ever blog and there is perhaps no better time or place to begin. Today I will finally embark upon a long-term ambition to provide medical humanitarian support to a population close to my heart, to my own people; to those whom I belong. I am a son to wonderful Palestinian parents and, whilst I was born and raised in Scotland, my identity as a Palestinian has always run deep; much like my Scottish identity (those who’ve observed me watching Scotland play football will know what I mean - yes, it is almost always a painful experience!).
Jordan Medical Aid for Palestinians (JMAP for short) is one arm of a charitable organisation called Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP). MAP is based in London and, indeed, there is a Scottish arm called SMAP with which I was closely involved as a child growing up in Edinburgh. Several decades ago most of my relatives, my parents included, had to move from Palestine to one of its neighbouring countries - Jordan - where I spent most summer holidays as a child visiting family, learning Arabic, immersing myself in Levantine culture and understanding my roots. When the opportunity arose to offer my medical expertise to Palestinian refugees across three camps (Talbieh, Hiteen/Schneller and Jerash/Gaza) in close proximity to the Jordanian capital city, Amman, I knew this would be my chance to begin fulfilling my long-standing ambition.
Truth be told, I don’t yet really know what to expect. I recently completed 15 years of medical training and have, at long last, become a Consultant Rheumatologist and General Physician. I have the great privilege of working for the NHS, a remarkable British institution to which I owe so much for facilitating my many years of specialisation. Throughout the toil and hardship of medical training, and the perpetual controversy surrounding the NHS and the delivery of its services, I have never lost sight of the fact that our NHS is comparatively resource-rich; certainly relative to the low resource healthcare setting of a refugee camp. In my day-to-day work, if my patient requires a blood test, they will get it. If they require a scan, they will get it. If they require a specific specialist referral, they will get it. If they require treatment, they will get it. These are things I possibly take for granted and I suspect my upcoming experience with JMAP will offer renewed perspective. Nonetheless, regardless of the lens through which I practice, my patients are my patients, and how I advocate for them, unwaveringly, shall remain unchanged. Granted there will be an emotional underbelly, a simmering subjectivity, to this humanitarian endeavour. Remaining objective in medicine, while being empathetic, is arguably an art form that takes years to master. It is this dichotomy and competing balance between subjectivity and objectivity that I expect will emerge as one of my core challenges while working with JMAP.
In my career thus far I have been fortunate enough to have moved smoothly through various stages in my training to reach the level of a consultant. Those in the medical profession, particularly trainees, will know that it is hard to turn down a job opportunity offering career progression through ongoing training and specialisation. It is for this very reason I have had to carefully bide my time. I now have a short career break before I embark upon my substantive consultant post and I feel now, more than ever before, I am best placed to utilise my expertise gained through years of medical training. I will be working with JMAP in my capacity as a Rheumatologist. The executive director of JMAP wasted no time in pointing out to me that in the 32 years since the organisation’s establishment they have never had a Rheumatologist’s input and that there will be “piles” of medical notes and patients ready for me! I anticipate a great deal of pathology and long-standing, untreated disease; potentially things I have only read about in textbooks yet never seen in practice. I expect this to be another core challenge. I will be working at the refugee camps for just under three weeks and I intend to chronicle my experiences on a regular basis in this blog.
Having, I hope, contextualised the where, what and why, it seems fitting to conclude this preface, and my first ever blog post, with one my father’s many affectionately worded text messages - of course never lacking a sprinkle of tongue-in-cheek: “Take care Tam. Enjoy! Remember: you don’t want your volunteering experience to be impossible but, more importantly, you don’t want it to be a doddle but a rich experience socially and professionally.”
