Sunday, August 30, 2009

ئه‌رکه‌ ته‌ندروستیه‌کانی په‌رله‌مانی داهاتووی کوردستان

ئه‌رکه‌ ته‌ندروستیه‌کانی په‌رله‌مانی داهاتووی کوردستان
د. گۆران عبدولله‌*
په‌رله‌مانی نوێی کوردستان له‌ به‌رده‌م په‌ربرسیاریتیگه‌لێکی ته‌ندروستی گرنگن که‌ ناکرێت پشتگۆێبخرێن. کۆمه‌ڵیک له‌و کارانه‌ی که‌ په‌رله‌مانی داهاتووی کوردستان ئه‌کرێت بیانکات به‌ ڕواڵه‌ت په‌یوه‌ندیه‌کی ڕاسته‌وخۆیان نیه‌ به‌ بواری ته‌ندروستی به‌ڵام له‌ ڕاستیدا ئه‌بنه‌ هۆکارێکی ده‌ستنیشانکه‌ر و کاریگه‌ری به‌ره‌وپێشه‌وه‌بردنی ته‌ندروستی کۆمه‌ڵگای کوردستان به‌ گشتی و تاکه‌کانی کۆمه‌ڵگا به‌ تایبه‌تی.
هه‌وڵدان بۆ کرانه‌وه‌ی سیاسی زیاتر و فه‌راهه‌م کردنی بۆار بۆ کۆمه‌ڵانی خه‌ڵک بۆ به‌شداری له‌ دروست کردنی بڕیار له‌ لایه‌ن ئه‌ندامانی تازه‌ی په‌رله‌مان له‌ ڕێی ئاسانکردنی په‌یوه‌ندی ڕاسته‌وخۆی تاکه‌کانی کۆمه‌ڵگا له‌ گه‌ڵ نوێنه‌رانی خۆیان له‌ په‌رله‌ماندان دوو ئه‌نجامی گه‌وره ئه‌پێکن که‌ ڕاسته‌وخۆ په‌یوه‌ندیان به‌ ئاستی ته‌ندروستی خه‌ڵکه‌وه‌ هه‌یه‌،
له‌ لایه‌که‌وه‌، داتا و توژینه‌وه‌ زانستیه‌کانی بواری ته‌ندروستی کۆمه‌ڵ پێمان ئه‌ڵێن که‌ ئاستی به‌شداری سیاسی خه‌ڵک له‌ دروستکردنی بڕیاردا په‌یوه‌ندیه‌کی ئه‌رێنی هه‌یه‌ له‌ گه‌ڵ باشی باری ته‌ندروستی ئه‌وان. ئه‌مه‌ به‌هۆی کاردانه‌وه‌ی باشی به‌شداری له‌ دروستکردنی بڕیار له‌ سه‌ر ده‌روون و متمانه‌ی تاکه‌کان به‌ توانایان بۆ به‌ده‌ستهێنانی گۆڕانکاری له‌ ژیانی خۆیان و کۆمه‌ڵگاکه‌یانه‌.
له‌ لایه‌کی تره‌وه‌، ئه‌گه‌ر به‌و گریمانه‌ ڕازی بین که‌ به‌شداری کردنی خه‌ڵک له‌ دروستکردنی بڕیاری سیاسیدا ئه‌بێته‌ هۆی هێنانه‌ کایه‌ی‌ کۆمه‌ڵه‌ بڕیارێک که‌ له‌ خزمه‌تی خۆیان و بۆ به‌رژه‌وه‌ندی ئه‌و توێژه‌ بێت که‌ هه‌وڵی دروست کردنی بڕیارکه‌ ئه‌دات، ئه‌وا دیسان به‌شداری له‌ دروست کردنی بڕیار، ئه‌بێته‌ هۆی باشتر کردنی باری ته‌ندروستی خه‌ڵک و تاکه‌کان.
بۆیه‌ یه‌که‌مین کارێک که‌ ئه‌کرێت ئه‌ندامانی په‌رله‌مانی داهاتوو بیکه‌ن بۆ باشترکردنی ئاستی ته‌ندروستی تاکه‌کان و کۆمه‌ڵگای کوردستان ئه‌وه‌یه‌ که‌ ده‌رگا داخراوه‌کانی په‌رله‌مان له‌ سه‌ر پشت واڵا بکه‌ن بۆ کۆمه‌ڵانی خه‌ڵک. پێویسته‌ کۆتایی به‌‌ دڵه‌راوکێی کۆنتاکتی یه‌که‌می تاکه‌کانی ئه‌م کۆمه‌ڵگایه‌ له‌ گه‌ڵ ده‌سه‌ڵاتدا به‌ شێوازه‌ ته‌قلیدێکه‌ی بهێنین که‌ خۆی له‌ بینن و قسه‌کردن و مامه‌ڵه‌کردن له‌ گه‌ل پۆلیس و مرور و ئاسایش، به‌ ڕێزی ته‌واومان بۆ ئه‌و کۆمه‌ڵه‌ ده‌زگایه‌، ئه‌بینێته‌وه‌. مرۆڤه‌کان بۆ ئه‌وه‌ی تاکێکی توڕه‌ و توندوتیژیان لێدره‌نچێت و بتوانن له‌ سه‌رخۆ و خاوه‌ن بارێکی ده‌روونی ئارام بن پێویسته‌ بزانن که‌ نوێنه‌رانیان هه‌یه‌ له‌ په‌ره‌له‌مان که‌ ئه‌کرێت خاڵی کۆنتاکتی یه‌که‌می ئه‌وان بن له‌ گه‌ڵ ده‌سه‌ڵاتی کوردستان نه‌وه‌ک پۆلیس و ئاسایش و مرور. هه‌ر ئه‌ندامێکی په‌ره‌له‌مان پێویسته‌ ژماره‌ی ته‌له‌فونی تایبه‌ت و ئه‌دره‌سی ئیلیکترون و ماڵپه‌رو پۆستی هه‌بێت بۆ ئه‌وه‌ی هه‌رکه‌سێک بیه‌وێت بتوانی په‌یوه‌ندی پێانه‌وه‌ بکات و له‌ کار و چالاکێکانی ئاگاداربێت. ناکرێت په‌رله‌مان بۆ گۆێگرتن له‌ خه‌ڵک ته‌نها له‌وه‌دا بوستێ که‌ ده‌رگاکانی بکاته‌وه‌، به‌ڵکۆ ئه‌بێت ئاکتیڤانه‌ خه‌ڵک بدوێنی و گۆێبگرێت. کوردستان ئیستا خاوه‌نی ده‌یه‌ها پسپۆری بۆاری سیاسه‌ت و ستراتیج و پلاندانی ته‌ندروستیه‌ که‌ ئه‌کرێت سوودیان لێوه‌ربگێرێت و ڕاو بۆچوونیان به‌ هه‌ند وه‌ربگیرێت.
دیاره‌ گوێگرتن له‌ خه‌ڵک به‌ ته‌نها گه‌ره‌نتی ده‌سته‌به‌رکردنی کۆمه‌ڵگا و تاکێکی ته‌ندروستمان بۆ ناکات، به‌ڵکۆ پێویستیمان به‌ په‌رله‌مانێکی چالاکه‌ که‌ به‌ باشی ئه‌رکی یاسادانان و چاودێری کاره‌کانی حکومه‌ت ڕاپه‌ڕێنێت. په‌رله‌مانی پێشووی کوردستان له‌ چه‌ند یاسایاک زیاتر که‌ به‌ په‌نجی ده‌ست ده‌ژمێردرێن و په‌یوه‌ندیه‌کی ڕاستوخۆێان به‌ بورای ته‌ندروستیه‌وه‌ هه‌یه‌، وه‌ک یاسای جگه‌ره‌کێشان و یاسای وه‌زاره‌تی ته‌ندروستی، نه‌یتوانیه‌وه‌ به‌ باشی به‌ ئه‌رکه‌ یاسایه‌کانی خۆی هه‌ڵبسێت. بۆیه‌ په‌رله‌مانی داهاتوو له‌ به‌رده‌م ئه‌رکێکی قورسدایه‌ بۆ ده‌رکردن و هه‌موارکردنی کۆمه‌ڵه‌ یاسایاک و پرۆژه‌بڕیارێک که‌ خزمه‌تی به‌ره‌وپێشه‌وه‌بردنی باری ته‌ندروستی کۆمه‌ڵگای کوردستان بکات.
یه‌کێک له‌ بواره‌ هه‌ره‌ گرنگه‌کانی ته‌ندروستی کوردستان ستراکتۆری وه‌زاره‌تی ته‌ندروستی کوردستانه‌. پیم وایه‌، گه‌وه‌رترین خزمه‌تێک ‌ به‌ بۆاری ته‌ندروستی کوردستان گۆڕێنی وه‌زاره‌تی ته‌ندروستیه‌ بۆ وه‌زاره‌تێکی ته‌ندروستی کۆمه‌ڵ. وه‌زاره‌تی ته‌ندروستی ئێستا ئه‌رک و به‌رپرسیارێتیه‌ ته‌ندروستێکانی له‌ سه‌ر ئاستی کۆمه‌ڵکا و خه‌ڵک فه‌رامۆشکردووه‌ به‌ هۆی سه‌رقاڵبوونی به‌ کۆمه‌ڵه‌ ئه‌رکێکی کارگێری په‌یوه‌ندیدار به‌ کارمه‌ندانی ئه‌وه‌ وه‌زاره‌ته‌ له پزیشک و کارمه‌ندی ته‌ندروستی که‌ ئه‌کرێت هه‌ر ده‌زگایه‌کی تر بیانکات.هه‌ر بۆ نموونه‌ شێوازی مامه‌ڵه‌کردنی وه‌زاره‌تی ته‌ندروستی له‌ گه‌ڵ په‌تای ئه‌نفلونزای به‌راز باشترین به‌ڵگه‌یه‌ بۆ ئه‌وه‌ی که‌ ئه‌م وه‌زاره‌ته‌ به‌ڕاستی لاوازه‌ و پێویسته‌ بگۆڕێت. له‌ کاتێکدا وه‌زاره‌تی ته‌ندروستی ئه‌یتوانی به‌لای که‌مه‌وه‌ چه‌ند ڕۆژ جارێک به‌ کۆنگره‌یه‌کی ڕۆژنامه‌وانی له‌ ڕه‌وشی تووشبوون به‌ په‌تاکه‌مان ئاگادارکاته‌وه‌، وه‌زاره‌ت ئه‌مه‌شی نه‌کرد. په‌رله‌مانی داهاتووی کوردستان ئه‌توانێت هه‌نووکه‌ له‌سه‌ر سێ ئاست هه‌وڵی باشترکردنی باری قه‌یراناوی وه‌زاره‌تی ته‌ندروستی بدات. یه‌که‌م پرۆژه‌ یاسایاک بۆ گۆڕێنی ستراکتۆر و ئه‌رک و به‌رپرسیارێتی وه‌زاره‌ته‌که‌ و یاریکردنی ڕۆڵێکی کاریگه‌ر له‌ ده‌ستنیشان کردنی وه‌زیری داهاتووی ته‌ندروستی که‌ ئه‌کرێت پرۆفیشناڵێکی بواری ته‌ندرستی کۆمه‌ڵ بێت بێ گۆێدانه‌ بیڕوڕاوی سیاسی ئه‌و و دواتر ئه‌نجامدانی چاودێریه‌کی ووردی هه‌موو کاره‌کانی وه‌زاره‌ته‌که‌ له‌ بواره‌ ته‌ندروستیه‌ جیاجیاکاندا. بۆ نموونه‌ بۆ زانیانی خۆئاماده‌یه‌کانی وه‌زاره‌ت بۆ ڕووبه‌ڕووبوونه‌وه‌ی په‌تایه‌کی ترسناکی وه‌ک ئه‌نفلونزای به‌راز، پێویسته‌ وه‌زیری ته‌ندروستی بانگی په‌رله‌مان بکریت و ڕووبه‌ڕووی پرسیار بکرێته‌وه‌.
ده‌ستخستنه‌سه‌ری ئه‌ندێشه‌و ناته‌ندروستیه‌کانی کۆمه‌ڵگای کوردستان و ده‌رکرندی بڕێار و یاسای گۆنجاو بۆێان و چاودێری جێبه‌جێکردنی ئه‌و یاسایانه‌ ئه‌رکێکی تری گرنگی په‌رله‌مانی کوردستانه‌. کۆمه‌ڵگای کوردستان به‌ ده‌ست کۆمه‌ڵه‌ ده‌رد و نه‌خۆشیه‌ک ئه‌ناڵێنی که‌ ته‌نانه‌ت نازانین ڕاده‌ی به‌ربڵاوی و ته‌شه‌نه‌کردنیان چه‌نده‌. دیاره‌ زانیاری له‌سه‌ر هه‌رشتێک به‌ ئامار و داتا ئه‌کرێت که‌ ئه‌رکی ده‌زگای تایبه‌تی ئه‌م بواره‌ن. له‌ کاتێکدا له‌ کوردستان به‌ ناو کۆمه‌ڵه‌ ده‌زگایه‌کی ئامار هه‌یه‌ به‌ڵام له‌ بواری ته‌ندروستیدا هه‌ر زۆر لاوازن و پێویستیان به‌ چالاککردن هه‌یه‌. په‌رله‌مان ئه‌توانێت به‌ پرۆژه‌ یاسایه‌ک که‌ ئه‌کرێت ناوی لێبنرێت، ئازادی گه‌یشتن به‌ زانیاری ته‌ندروستی، له‌م قه‌یرانه‌ زانستی و ئه‌خلاقیه‌ قوتارمانکات.
کایه‌ی ته‌ندروستی کوردستان له‌ حاڵی حازر به‌ده‌ست کێشه‌گه‌لێکه‌وه‌ ئه‌ناڵێنن که‌ ئه‌کرێت له‌ ڕێی چه‌ند پرۆژه‌ بڕیار و یاسایه‌کی په‌رله‌مانه‌وه‌ چاره‌سه‌ر بکرێن. ئه‌مه‌ نه‌ک ته‌نها سوودی ته‌ندروستی هه‌یه‌ به‌ڵکو بۆ ته‌ندروستی سیاسی کوردستانێش کارێگه‌ری باشی هه‌یه‌. بۆاری ته‌ندروستی له‌ کورستاندا به‌ به‌راورد به‌ وڵاته‌ پێشکه‌وتووه‌کانی دنیا ڕه‌نگه‌ یه‌کێک له‌ هه‌ره‌ که‌مترین ئه‌و بوارانه‌ بێت که‌ کێشه‌ی سیاسیان له‌سه‌ره‌. واته‌ ئێمه‌ له‌ کوردستان وه‌ک ئه‌وه‌ی له‌ ئه‌مریکا هه‌یه‌ دابه‌شنه‌بووین به‌ سه‌ر چه‌ند جه‌مسه‌رێکی له‌یه‌ک دوور بۆ تێگه‌یشتن و دنیابینینمان بۆ بواری ته‌ندروستی. بۆیه‌ ئه‌کرێت وتوێژ و دایه‌لۆگ له‌سه‌ر ئه‌رکه‌ ته‌ندروستیه‌کانی په‌رله‌مان ده‌رگایه‌ک بن بۆ شکاندنی سارد و سڕی په‌یوه‌ندی ئیستای ده‌سه‌ڵات و ئوپۆزوسوێن. له‌ ئێستادا ئه‌کرێت پرۆژه‌ یاسای ده‌ربکریت که‌ تایبه‌تن به‌ که‌سانی تووشبوو به‌ نه‌خۆشی و ئه‌ندێشه‌ی ده‌روونی و پرۆژه‌ یاسای نه‌هێشتنی ماده‌ی قورقۆشم له‌ به‌نزین و به‌کارهێنانی ئاردێک که‌ ماده‌ی فۆلیک ئه‌سیدی تیابێت که‌ ئێستا له‌ وڵاته‌ پێشکه‌وتوه‌کانی دونیا به‌کارئه‌‌هێنرێت و کارێگه‌ری ته‌ندروستی زۆر گه‌وریان هه‌یه‌. ئه‌مانه‌ کۆمه‌ڵه‌ کارێکی زۆر قورس نێن که‌ تێچوونێکی که‌م به‌ڵام به‌رهه‌مێکی ته‌ندروستی گه‌وه‌ریان لێ سه‌وز ئه‌بێت.
دیاره‌ له‌ کۆتایدا ئه‌وه‌ ماوه‌ بڵێن که‌ یاسا و ڕیسا و پرۆژه‌ی بڕیار بێ چاودێرێکی وورد و به‌رده‌وامی جێبه‌جێکردنیان هیچ مانایه‌کیان نابێت و هیچ مه‌به‌ستێک ناپێکن.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

The Health of Politics

In the heat of the debate about who should be what in the next Kurdistan Regional Government and the leadership of the Parliamant in Kurdistan, something important went unoticed and neglected. The health of those public figures that will be the future decision makers of Kurdistan didnt get a share in the attributes of the people under considertation.
Once individuals become public figures, nothing, yes nothing, should remain secret and not accessable to public scrutiny and examination. As much as this is important when it comes to the personal belongings and financial accounts of those public figures, it is not less so for their health status and medical records.
Politics is conducted in Kurdistan behind a veil of ignorace. This needs to end. Transparency is crucial for an active participation of people in the decision making process. Those public figures that ascend to the highest position of government and Parliamen should be courageous and confident of themselves enough to disclose their belonging, financial assets and medical records before they assume their position in government.
The discolsure of the health related information of he public figures will have two important advantages;
First, it serves the prospect of trasparency in the conduct of the work of the government. If we press now for the disclosure of the health information of public figures, it may be easier to push for similar steps when it comes to personal belongings and financial assets.
Second, the disclosure of the health information of public figures could be an effective tool in increaing the knowledge about many neglected conditions and diseases in the society. This would raise the awareness of people about illnesses and health in general. If public figures are open enough about their personal health conditions, reaching out to them through the media to talk about those condidtions and ways of preventing or coping with them could prove a critical tool in combating illness and promoting health.
We need to know who are those who lead us into the future, we have the right to be introduced to their health status, illnesses and bad behaviors. It takes a healthy person to think healthy and to make sound decisions in politics.

Thursday, August 20, 2009

Ceremonies are Over, Lets Go to Work

The Parliament of Kurdistan launched today its third session. The even was a ceremony rather than a serious work day. All the members of the parliament were inaugurated by pledging to be faithful to serving the people of Kurdistan. Although, this marks a great step in our strife for democracy, but the event itself was tainted by a number of irregularities.
First of all, the head of the parliament and his or her assistants should be elected not selected by the parliament. The way the new head of the parliament was chosen today, was exactly the same way, the heads of the political establishment are chosen; i.e through announcing their names and being selected without any competition and through claps rather than votes. This is a bizarre move in a democracy. It puts our efforts for being democratic under serious questioning.
Second, It is not understandable why should all those people be invited to a legislative session as important as the first meeting of the new parliament. Was the first day of the new parliament a political campaign or a legislative session that requires adhering to the rules and the regulations that the body set forth for itself. Why should all the consulates present in Erbil invited to this meeting? What was the purpose for them to be invited? If it was to show them that we are democratic and have a parliament, I think we just did a big dissevers to our cause by showing them that although we are trying to be so through holding elections, but we failed to behave democratically in the first day of this legislative cycle.
It is a failure to predetermine will be the head, his deputy and the secretary of the Parliament without even casting a vote for those people by the new members of the Parliament.
We need transparency in our political behavior, it is not enough to claim democracy only through words without matching those words with deeds. It is very hard to stay optimistic after the end of the first day of the new parliament. We cant justify any optimism just by hearing our national anthem and a big participation of the international representation in the ceremony.
The lesson learned here is that power doesn't bow to the rules of democracy just because it is good to do so. There should be pressure from outside to make it accountable. This should be very clear when the new government is selected. The parliament should have a strong say in choosing the ministers to serve the new cabinet.
It is very difficult to assume the ability of the new parliament to bypass the political stalemate that could result from the failure of tr ascending politics to policies and moving from conflict to consensus.

Monday, August 17, 2009

A Mental Health Act for Iraq

My friends, This is an act that was signed by the Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawy, but never passed in the Parliament. We need to make it pass with some amendments. Please feel free to contribute in editing. Goran

Iraqi mental health council
The Objectives of mental health act are to put the basic and wide rules which organize the quality and ways in dealing with the individuals who this law will apply on ( including the individuals who are being mentaly assessed and need compulsory admission to psychiatric hospital , or units for treatment ) , according to criteria and conditions used internationally and as follow :

1. Keeping with international laws and traditions as regard to human rights .
2. Taking in consideration the basic needs of the individuals and within the available sources with the guaranty to provide these needs with the improvement of the sources .
3. Give them the necessary medical treatment and care according to their needs to this treatment , and ensure their own and society safety .
4. The treatment and care should include maintainance , and provide the method of gaining their confidence , and personal feeling to take responsibility in accordance with their needs and wishes .
5. To ensure the discharge the patients from detention imposed on them according to this law , and to free them from all conditions imposed on them accordingly , when it becomes clear that the application of this law is no longer needed.

Definitions
Section one of the law specified wide technical terms meant to include the following conditions :
A- Psychotic Disorders :
Include all psychotic disorders wheather organic or functional in origin .
B- Neurotic Disorders :
Means the disorders which the patient suffer subjectively and which have effect on patient psychological stabalization emotion , feeling and his ability for social adaptation , without lossing his mental ability
C- Other Disorders :
1. Mental Retordation
( Mild – Modrate – sever )
There are two criteria to include mental retardation within the application of the law
a- It has to be a condition of arrested or incomplete development of the mind characterised by impairment of skills manifested during the period , which contribute to the overall level of intelligence i.e cognitive , langnage , motor and social .
b- The condition is accompoined by abnormal and dongerous aggressive behaviour .
2. Psychopathic personality disorder :
It is a techincal broad term which doesn’t mean ( psychopathic personality ) and which has aggressive tendency against the society , whic encompass, deeply ingrained maladeptive patterns of behaviour ( wheather or not has a noticeable limitation of intelligence ) and which lead to aggressive behaviour without awareness of its consequence by the affected individual .
3. Other disorders not mentioned above :
These include disorders which may be used as a result of clinical skill and experience as a mitigation factor and according to the type and circum stances of the crime .
Note :
Treatment means :
All medical effects including , nursing , different ways of care , rehablitation of patient under medical supervision .
( This law ) means
Mental Health Law 2004 where ever used .
Taking effect of the law section one specified
The application of this law will take effect on patient who suffers from one or more psychotic or neurotic disorders and other disorders specified by the psychiatrist .
The patient will be considered as a voluntry “( informal ) if he consults the psychiatric services voluntrly , and a formal ( unvoluntry ) patient if his consultation done without his will for purpose of treatment .





In order to establish and increase awreness of the importance and mental health and the laws of mental health , and to facilitate the procedure of building all units and establishments needed to provide diffrent psychiatric services , and to ensure continuty to develop these services , it was decided to set up this body ( NCMH ) from representatives of different society leaders with the guaranty of its openess on movement of scientific and service development in the world .
The setup of the council is a guarantee to fullfill the following objectives :
1. To establish and increase awareness of the importance of mental health in general and the laws of mental health specifically .
2. To create a suitable enviroment for the body to give its decisions the strenght , the effectiveness and the understanding needed for the purpose of continuation to provide actual psychiatric services on both scientific and practical side .
3. To guarantee continuation the development of these services and people working in their sectors by activation of local and internal abilities , and to benefit from the openess on advanced international experiences .
4. To work in a way of organized , and united method , and best utilization of time and efforts .
The decision of establishment :
The council is established by a decision of the minster of health
The body is chaired by the National Mental HealthAdvisor , and members from experts and specialists from the following minsteries :
Ministry of Health – Ministry of Higher Education – Ministry of Defence – Ministry of Interior Affair – Ministry of Justice – Ministry of work and social Affair – Ministry of Human Right , and two members of experienced forensic psychiatrists .

The target of the nature of NCMH duties in the above item are the following :
1. Ensure protection of interests and caring the welfare of the patients suffering from mental disorders within the national programme of mental health accredited in the ministry of health with co- operation of WHO programms .
2. Preparation and avaliability of human and other resources ( including , hospitals , unit building and instrument needed for the care of the patients .
3. Arrangment of foundations and specific criteria which secure providing mental health services for patients in the required way wheather by co-ordination or participation in preparing these foundations and criteria and which secure the type of service needed , And to ensure establishment of psychiatric Hospitals, Units and psychiatric outpatient clinics wheather govermental or belong to public sector, and to ensure that these psychiatric service adhere to the required criteria .
4.To ensure continue scientific development, to improve the performance of all workers in these services by activation of all scientific activities such as conference, workshops, or taking part in periodic litletchers, wheather inside or out side country especially with international organisations to exchange skills and experiences .
5. Pay attention to the rehablitationpart for patients and invite other authorities with same interest to arrange and prepare social and professional programmes and activities to care for patients.
6. To examine and review the mental health laws, by studying the reports provided by subdivision committees in baghdad and other governorates, and other forensic committees provided for this purpose, by direct observation on all mental health establishments, therefor the NCMH in this way will take part in legislation of mental health law more developed in future .
7. Ensure speed up and utilization of time by giving the Extra authority to the chairman of the body to take suitable measures after consultation with other specialists in the body .
8. The work to establish specialized medical unit to care the detained , charged and sentenced patients whom are involved by this law in all governorates.
9. Ensure the immunity and security and support of all workers in this field, and issue clear and correct criteria for this purpose.









The procedure of setting up these committees aimed at widening the network of mental health services in the countryboth in quality and quantity .
The responsibilities of subdivision committees are :
a- Follow up the excusion of the bodys decisions .
b- Direct supervision of treatment of voluntry patients, the detained patient in psychiatric hospital and units.
c- Examine closely the psychiatric reports raised by different hospital adminstrations, and the reports of forensic psychiatric committees .
d- Also to follow up the interests of the patients to fit the lists of human rights , by studying objections and complaints in respect of the patients, and by checking the work and decisions of forensic psychiatric committee issued against the patients. And by applying appeal to some of these decisions when needed, ( according to item 94 of public health law No.89 .
e- Finally the body also raises all cases related to detained patient to all ministries and bodies responsible for .


This section reassured that there should be a co-operation of all ministries, and bodies not attached to a ministry of health , and other interested with the ( NCMH ) and its subdivision committees to ensure a streamlined work, easy practice, to excute and provide best psychiatric services .


Caring the patients :-
Detention of the patient :

According to the lists of human rights which stated :
Any man has the right of freedom and safety, and no one can deprive him her from this right except in the following conditions and according to certain measures imposed by the law :
1. Legal detention of any human to prevent an infecious disease .
2. Legal detention of mental patients, and those who are alcohol or drug addicts, and there is a geniune mental disorder verified on abasis from a practical clinical experience, and the mental illness is from the type which necessate compulsory detention to avoid risk on patient or society or both .













Section -7-
Two
Period of detention maximum for 72 hours
Requirments :
The psychiatrist has the authority to admitt a patient in a closed psychiatric unit after completing needed form for admission, clarifying clinical features which necessate this procedure after exhausting other means to admitt the patient voluntrly .
Conditions :
1. The patient suffers from unspecified mental disorder accompanied by obvious behavioural disorder .
2. The admission to closed psychiatric unit should be in the interestof the patient and to protect others .
3. According to the above point the detention of the patient in this unit is for the purpose to correct his condition which could end to a treatment plan and according to his state .
4. The patient should be referred to a specialized psychiatric committee to evaluate his illness state .
5. In the current circumstance the country is going through, and due to shortage of doctors in other governorates it is best the chairman of the committee be at least specialized in forensic psychiatry, or has completed a training course which make him able to deal with these cases .
6. And for the same reason ( shortage of doctors ) , and there is no available specialized psychiatric committee , the patient can be seen by a second psychiatrist who has knowledge or experience in forensic psychiatry ( specialized or completed atraining course, or has an experience in forensic psychiatry no less than 3 years ) .
7. This second psychiatrist should examine the patient and give his second opinian within the 72 hour and from the time of admission . The same procedure can be applied in Baghdad in emergency cases, and when it is impossible to hold ameeting for the psychiatric committee within the detention period ( 72 hours )
he Closed Treatment Unit
Section – 7 –
Three
a- The unit should have all facilities of precautionary treatment .
b- In emergency cases and when needed to give the patient treatment on compulsory admission this treatment should be given on patient requirments and according to condition development, taking in consideration how to deal with the patient .
While in case of treatment decided by the medical committee, it has to be under the supervision of responsible medical officer ( the psychiatrist ) .
c- When possible get the help of the police to bring the patient or during admission procedures.
d- The specialist doctor who admitted the patient ( compulsory admission ) should be the responsible medical officer during the period of detention ( 72 hour ) until the patient is seen by the committee or having second opinian .



One
Period of admission is 30 days conditions :-
a- The patient suffers from Acute mental illness such as
Acute psychotic Disorders ( functional or organic ) or the patient suffers from mental retardation , or personality disorders with dangerous behavioural disorder with serious conseguenceand which when treated :
The condition improved or, stop the progress of his condition .
b- Threre should be utmost necessity to secure patient's health and safety as well as other's safety, by detaining the patient for 30 days according to assessment and the opinion of the committee weather there is any chance of improvement of the patient state during this period .

Requirements :
a- The specialized psychiatric committee should submit a report about the patient seen, containing a recommondation to detain this patient in a treatment medical unit for the purpose of medical treatment for 30 days, unrenewable .
b- In case the specialist psychiatric committee is not available, the psychiatrist who proceed for compulsory admission should consult another psychiatrist therefore the two doctor will deputize the specialist psychiatric committee for the purpose above .
c- The forensic psychiatric report, should be examined by a specialist investigation judge within 72 hours to issue an agreement decision to detain the patient .
d- The above decision will be referred to attorney general .
e- The hospital manager or the responsible social worker will inform the patient's relative or the patient about rights under this law .
f- The patient or his relatives have the right to appeal against this detention with 14 days from the date of admission by writing to hospital manager or subdivision committee .


1. The specialized psychiatric committee ( when available ) or the two psychiatrists who recommonded emergency admission will discharge the patient when his condition improves , and will issue a forensic psychiatric report recommonding a medical follow up if needed .
2. A copy of this report should be sent to attorney general to let him know about discharge .
3. If the patient absconds from the hospital , help from police ( according to section 90 ) can be sought to bring him back , and in case he remains absent during the period of detention he will be automatically discharged and attorney general will be informed .
4. The hospital manager has to try not to let patient to apply for appeal hoping to discharge from the hospital, if the responsible medical officer considers that the patient will be risk to himself and to others .



Period 180 day or less renewable
Conditions :
The same as section – 8- one except treatment time
Requirements :
The same as section – 8 – one except that the admission is for compulsory treatment for 180 days or less renewable.
Also section – 8 – two can be applied befor the end of treatment period ( 30 days ) mentioned in section – 8 – one if the detained patient did not improve . The forensic psychiatric report should be submitted to responsible investigation judge to issue decision of admission to hospital for treatment .
The investigation judge should inform the attorney general for follow up .
Right for appeal :
The patient or his relative or his lawyer have the right to appeal against this section within 30 days from its date of issue .
Requirments of discharge :-
The same as requirements mentioned in section – 8 – one .
Section – 9 –
The hospital management can seek the help of the police in order to help admission of the patients or returning them back when they abscond to treatment units ( those included in section – 8 – one and two mentioned before .




Section – 10 –
he hospital manager has the right to give leave to patient no longer than 48 hours , after the patients relative guaranty to bring him back to the unit after knowing the address of the patient .
This is i.e the leave is considered to be part of the treatment and after recommondation of the responsible medical officer .


Chapter Four
The care of charged patients :
With exception of legal procedures required , the patients subjected to this law have the same rights given to other patients concerning assessment and given treatment .
The charged patient where ever found such as police stations , dentention centres , or prisons has the right to be treated if needed this psychiatric treatment due to mental disorder and which could not be done in proper except in hospitals .
There fore the patients in these places i.e police stations , prisons , etc are subjected in great deal to psychological stresses caused by these places , which render them to be at risk of suicide or dangerous behaviour to them selve or others .
Especially and taking into account that the medical care centres in prisons for example , donot give the right specifications , which referred to in this law , to describe the treatment units .
There fore it is necessory for all specialities dealing with such patients within this section to be a ware of the terms and termenologies of this law in addition to health requirements wheather legal came from interior minstry , or from ministry of health informed by the National Council of Mental Health .
In addition to this , doctors , and other specialitises working in this field should be aware of all responsibilites , changes and requirements , referred by the international laws of human rights which work to secure best and fair medical care for these patients .


The forensic psychiatric committee
Section – 11 – one
This committee established at present time in Baghdad , and it will possible to establish it in other governorates when the specialist medical team will be available in future .
The authority of establishment :-
It is the authority of minster of health to nominate the chairman and members of this committee at the suggestion of national mental health advisor , or his deputy .
The chairman : -
Must be a forensic psychiatrist , or has passed a training course in this field or has experience in forensic psychiatry 5 years or more .
Members :-
The committee comprises of two members each one should be a forensic psychiatrist or as the chairman , or has experience in forensic psychiatry no less than 3 years .
Duties of the committee :-
1. The committee carries out examination of charged patients referred to it , by investigation authority or court according to arequest submitted by the attorney general or the patient , his relative or his lawyer, or at the request of the court , for the purpose of examination of his mental state and to provide a forensic psychiatric report , and which comprises some needed recommondations about the patient .
2. The committee carries out examination of patients jailed in prisons spending their sentences, to assess their mental states and to indicate their need for treatment and where to be treated .
The committee carries out examination of patients included in section - 7 – two referred to it , to give reports about them .
3. The committee carries out examination of all patients under its care , wheather they charged and referred by courts or they are spending their sentences in prisons , or the referred patients under section – 7 – two , periodically for follow up or to give final reports about them .
The action period of the committee :-
The forensic psychiatric committee carries out its duties for a period notless than six months and no more than one year , then , it will be changed according to the advice national council of mental health , and the agrement of minister of health , except in the governorates where there are no enough doctors in the field of psychiatry .
4. Admission of the charged patient to a closed treatment unit for the purpose of assessment and providing a forensic psychiatric report about him
Section -11-2,3,and 4
Undertake the procedure of examining the charged patient and providing the needed forensic psychiatric report about him .


Requirements :-
1. There should be a clear decree from the investigation judge or the court ,clarifying exatly the reason of the requested report , or the included requests of the report .
2. using the special referral form accomponied by a summary of the case regarding the charged patient and its circumstances , and any notes about the behaviour of the patient , before and at the time and after committing the supposed crime if possible .
A copy of the referral should be sent to subdivision committee of that governorate ( when the forensic psychiatric committee available ) and which mentioned in section – 4 – of this law .
3. All report about the patients state ( mental or physical condition if present ) i.e the previous state should be enclosed with , and the type and periods of treatment given to the patient .
4. All social reports and documents stating the patients background should also be enclosed .
5. All detailed investigations papers in order to the details of event and statements of witnesses which could highlight , to understand the patients state he suffers from .
6. A working arrest warrant to confirm his detention , and this should be renewed when it is expired and the patient is not attending if necessary .
Conditions :-
1. The order of transferring a patient from prison , or detention centre to the hospital should come from the court or the investigation, judge which secure the transfer of the patient to the hospital or closed treatment unit .
2. To secure admission of the patient to the hospital or closed treatment unit within 7 days of issuing the requested referral for the purposeof presenting the patient to the above committee .
3. The detention of the patient should be done according to item 2 and 3 of section – 11 – in a closed treatment unit , and secured under psychiatric supervision , and the patient will be presented to the forensic psychiatric committee on a regular bases to prepare a psychiatric report about his mental and psychiatric state within 30 days , renewable up to 90 days without the need for the patient to attend the court .
4. The patient will be returned back by the police , after finishing and giving the needed report about him to the same place i.e the detention centre or the prison .
Special conditions :-
1. The committee has the right to send for all other independent sources in order to provide all medical and social informations which serve the purpose ( to give the needed forensic psychiatric report ) .
2. To aim at the , delicateness and caution in using and studying the formal documents , the committee will appoint certain people responsible for checking these documents ( formal and informal ) as will follow later on .
The forensic psychiatric report
General points :
The importance of the clinical medical opinian has a great role in outweighting the decision the court will take , depending on the meaning and the item of that opinian which included in the medical report presented before the court . There for the following points must be considered in writing any kind of this report :-
1. Referring to all preliminaries and indications the committee relied on .
2. Mentioning the ways linked these indications by making the forensic psychiatric opinian .
3. Confirmation and clarification of the medical condition ( mental illness ) which will be used as a defence in the court .
4. clarification of the elements linked to that mental illness and which can lead the patient to be risk to himself or other .
5. clarify the mechanism which affected the medical condition in causing to committee the crime through explanation the effect of this mechanism on insight and will , for example , the time of committing the crime .
6. The medical report should comprise all medical recommondations needed , such as admitting the patient for treatment , the type and time of this treatment if needed .
7. The element of the report should be an accurate answer to what investigation body or court asked .
8. The report should not refer to the charged patient as guilty or not , because this will be decided by the court .
Section – 12 – writing the report
1. taking in consideration the points mentioned above .
2. The report should contain evaluation , of the patient mental and psychiatric state and their effect on his insight and will at the time of committing the event .
3. Wheather the patient can stand before the court and his ability to plead himself .
4. Wheather the patient is a risk to himself and others .
5. The recommondation to treat the patient in a closed treatment unit improvement , or the cessation of his risk , if needed .


Section – 13 – one , two , three
Period :-
Unlimited unless the court define a special time , renewable and according patient ( charged ) state .
Requirements :-
The decision of the court which decided to send the patient to hospital , and whom a medical report had been issued about by a forensic psychiatric committee and which according to this report together what has the court believed that the patient is not responsible for the crime ( due to mental illness ) and the courts satifaction to send him to hospital for treatment .
Note :-
No one else apart from the court is entitled tosend charged patient subjected to section – 12 – of this law .
Conditions :-
1. Section – 13 – two refers that the sent patient who mentioned above . needs, treatment and rehablitation programme, until the disappearance of dengerouness risk , under the care of a doctor specialized in psychiatry , and who provides on a regularperiods reports about the patients mental and psychiatric state to the torensic psychiatric committee , which supervise the treatment procedure on a whole , and decides the new time of treatment , and the type of treatment after discussion with that psychiatrist .
2. Section – 13 – three refers that the court which sent the charged patient and who included on section – 12 – of the law , and after issuing the decision of treatment in a closed treatment unit , cannot discharge the patient mentioned in item one of section – 13 – unless at the recommondation ( by a report ) of the forensic psychiatric committee confirming his improvement and disappearance of risk .

The right to appeal against the forensic psychiatric report :-

Section – 13 – Four
Item 4 of this section refers that it is the right of the patient or next of kin or his lawyer or attorney general , or the subdivision committee to appeal against the decision of the forensic psychiatric committee issued according to section – 12 – of this law , before the appeal committee and within 30 days of the decision date .
Discharge from the closed treatment unit :-
The committee produce a report confirming that the patient , or patients state has improved , and the disappearance of his risk of dangerousness , the report also include the need of the patient for periodical follow up as well as the need for rehablitation programme and social adaptation , the patient will be referred back to the court to issue a suitable final decision .



Medical care after discharge from the closed treatment unit
Section – 14 –
When the patient returned back to the cour and according to the psychiatric report which contain the following :
1. The need of the patient to treatment in periodical way .
2. His need to undergo rehablitation programme , and social adaptation reguraly and which is decided by the national council of mental health .
3. The patient or his guarantor should define the geographical place he wishes to be follow up for treatment and usually will be his resident area .
4. The hospital or the treatment unit where the patient had been treated during his detention period provide all informations about his state and his need for treatment and the necassity to subject his to rehablitation programme , to the psychiatrist who will be responsible for his treatment .
5. The responsible medical officer will submitt medical report about patients treatment every 3 months in the first year , and every 6 months in the following years , to the subdivision committee in the governorate .
6. After treatment services will cease, according to the reports raised from subdivision committee to the national council of mental health and after discussion with the responsible medical officer , the detail will follow later .



Sending a charged patient for treatment and for a limited period
Section – 15 –
The court may send a patient ( with a charge ) and according to a report from forensic psychiatric committee for treatment in a closed unit until his improvement and which became clear to this committee that the responsibility of the patient is limited ( or partial ) .
The time is not specified exatly , unless the court define a determined period , and the court can cease this treatment time , depending on what its seen reasonable .
The requirements and the conditions are the same as in section – 13 – one and two only with the guaranty of right to appeal mentioned in section – 13 – four .
And in case the satisfaction of the forensic psychiatric committee . that the patient has improved , and he is no more a risk , he will be returned back to the court according to a report ( psychiatric ) including , treatment follow up only if this needed and especially in prison , or what can the court see reasonable .
Adherence of the patient's relatives to follow up the charged patients treatment and ensuring bringing hin to rehablitation programme's appointments
Section – 16 – as to what refer to section – 14 –
One of patients relative ( from first degree or who follows incase the first degree is not available ) guaranties before the court in writing , to follow up , patients treatment , by presenting the patient to the responsible medical officer ( responsible psychiatrist ) and to bring him to psychiatric and social rehablitations appointment .
- The guarantor or the patient verifies the geographical place ( usually Residency ) .
- The guarantor gives his or the patients address or any method they can easily be contacted .
- The patient should be periodically seen by the psychiatrist , and he should attend the rehablitation appointments in times .
The psychiatrist will raise reports every three months for the first year , to the subdivision committee , which will then pass these reports to the national council , then the reports will be raised every 6 months after that .
- The need for this follow up will cease , according to reports raised to the subdivision committee by the treating psychiatrist , and according to a request from the patient after a year from starting the treatment , and after every 6 months there after , to the subdivision committee , which will in turn , sends the patient to the closed treatment unit , for the purpose to present him before the forensic psychiatric committee , which will decide to cease the rehablitation treatment period , or extends it according to the need .

Special Note :-
As regar the patients included in section – 8 – one and two a guarantor ( and according to previous criteria ) may apply a commitement in writing to the hospital manager or the chairman of the forensic psychiatric committee , to bring the patient periodically for treatment , and rehablitation .
- He should specify the geographical side for treatment .
- The same procedures mentioned before should be undertaken .
- The need for this care will crease according to the psychiatric committees report or the opinian of two psychiatrists one of them should a forensic psychiatrist .

Treatment of a detained patient during spending his sentence which took his freedom or will
Section – 17 –
Requirements :-
1.A request to refer the detained ( in mate ) from Iraqi reformation office to a treatment unit for the puprose of treatment .
2. A warrant of arrest .
- Renewed according to treatments time .
- All paperwork and informations available in the medical unit in prison accompained by notes documented by nursing staff or those responsible for treatment .
Conditions :-
- The patient will be seen by the forensic committee in Baghdad to evalute his state and his need and place for treatment .
- The report issued by the committee should fix a treatment time , renewable according to development of cases changes .
- The Iraqi reformation office , has the to finish the treatment time , incase of when the sentence becomes near to end , and in this case , the specialized medicalcommittee will provide a report containing the need to follow up treatment when the inmate released , and will be treated if he is still in need for treatment and according to requirements deal with patients included in section – 8 – and which mentioned in explanation of section – 16 – within the special note .
- The inmate patient will be treated in the treatment unit under supervision of a specialist psychiatrist , also will be examined periodically by the above committee unit his improvement , or a request to return him back to Iraqi information office .
- The above committee should inform both , the subdivision committee and reformation office in case of admission to discharge from closed treatment unit .

Chapter Five
Punishment Verdicts :
Checking information and punishment who produces reports contrary to truth .
Section – 18 –
All produced documents ( formal and informal ) will be subjected to chek by special persons appointed for this purpose above .
As concerns as the formal papers – and when there is any mistake , they will returned to producing or issuing side for correction .
As concerns as the informal reports or informations , and where they contradict the fact , or forged papers , section – 18 – one and two specified a punishment verdict or imprisonment for no longer than a year and a fine of no more than 100.000 L.D for those who committed this offence.
The violation of the written commitement mentioned in section – 16 – of this law
Section – 18 – three
The guarantor mentioned in section – 16 – of this land as regared section – 18 – i.e the charged patient , subjected after the disappearance of his to a social rehablitation programme and especially the patient ( charged ) whom sentenced by the court to detain him in a closed treatment unit , until the disappearance of his risk this guarantor and in case of violation of his comitement to present the patient to a treatment unit for examination periodically , will be subjected to the same punishments mentioned in section – 18 –


This section ( 18 three ) doesnot include the guarantor of patient under section ( 8 ) of this law .

Chapter Six
General and final rules
Section – 19 –
This section allows the police to arrest individuals whom reported to behave in an odd behaviours , or unusual and against the public general moral and ethics, or their behaviour is a risk to themselve, or the society .
The police will in turn bring these individual to a closed treatment unit to present them to the forensic psychiatric committee within ( 72 ) hour , and in case the referred individual is a mental patient needing treatment the committee will decide , type and time of treatment and according to section 7 , and the patient will be dealt with the same way , dealing with patient under section – 8 – one and two .
The report provided by the committee will be passed to the specialized investigation judge to get agreement for detention and compulsory treatment .



Section – 20 – and section – 21 –
It is not possible what so ever the forensic psychiatric services to be carried out in good way , and to improve it , and securing all suitable conditions , without the availability of these unit , wheather at the level of buildings or the multidisplinary team such as medical , rehablitation and others, there for section 20 of this law , states , to encourage the ministry of health ( with the cooperation of the council and related bodies ) to prepare the availability of these treatment units in all governorates , and section 21 stated the importance of continuos communication and discussion with the minister of health to facilitate excusion of this law .
Important Reasons
The important reasons , comprise the new viewof how to deal with individuals suffer from psychiatric and mental disorders by finding the skelton which works through by an orgnisation able to develop, its purpose is to provide and secure medical services for patients and enssure their human and social rights which include their improvement and disappearance of risk of dangerousness due to the nature of the illness , wheather this risk to patients or others , also the law aim at co-operation of all related side to participitate achievement of the objective above , or ensuring steadliness of practicality and scientically how to work between all forensic psychiatric committees and other specialities in this field ( medically ) and with forensic sides specialized in law .

( Finished with help of god )
June 2005

Friday, August 14, 2009

Who Could be The Next Minister of Health?

Kurdistan parliamentary and presidential elections were the beginning of the start of a new era in Kurdish politics. The gains that the opposition made in the election through getting about 40 of the 111 seats of the Parliament is a dramatic change that promise good influence on the work of the future government.
One of the main functions of any Parliament is being able to oversight the work and functions of the government to ensure accountability, transparency and the adherence to the rule of law. This job of the new parliament should start right now. With the new members of the Parliament scheduled to have their first meeting next week, it is not too early to talk about what would be the priorities for the next few months.
In addition to such pressing and urgent issues like the return of those who were fired from their jobs just because they voted against the political establishment, it is necessary to address the structure of the new Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG).
It is important for the new Parliament to consider playing a positively significant role in the selections of the new ministers for the KRG. Without aiming very high and having reasonable expectations, that ensure preventing stalemate and political stagnation, the new parliament need to guarantee the transparency of not only the selection process but also vetting of those who are considered to be ministers in the next KRG.
Transparency should be one of the priorities of the new Parliament when it comes to the work of the government. The new Parliament can show us a gesture of good will through ensuring that highly qualified professionals get the chance to be at least vetted for governmental positions. This can be achieved through holding hearings for those who are considered to be members of the next KRG cabinet. For now even a ceremonial confirmation hearing for those minister will do. At least we need to start a transparent process of knowing who those ministers are and what are their plans for their respective ministries.
Having said that, the importance of abandoning patronage and introducing transparency, if important for other ministries, is even more so for the Ministry of Health. The selection of Ministers for this crucial governmental function had been based so far on political connections rather than professional qualifications and on being a good doctor rather than a good servant. This needs to end. The next Minister of Health, should be a prominent health or preferably public health professional with significant achievement in the field of health.
It is crucial for the next minister of health to combine academic and scientific knowledge with public health and field skills and experience. He or She should know the health conditions of our country in and out. Know and have the gut to introduce policies based on the priorities of the country. Be able to face the miscalculated moves of politicians by throwing money at our health problems to satisfy their constituents.
Having a leader of a political party without any health knowledge, a prominent physician with significant medical knowledge and authority, and finally a diaspora physician with long term service to the country in the mountains, didn't prove beneficial to the prospect of having a healthy society. Now it is time for change in these policies. Now is time for professionals and highly qualified public health personnel to get engaged in the decision making process. This needs courage in part of the political establishment, a sense of responsibility in part of the opposition and most importantly a will in part of professionals to get engaged in the political process.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

Creating a HealthCare Network Bridge/ By: Martin Coyne

Why Kurdistan Must Act:
While at times it seems the task of reforming Healthcare in Kurdistan is overwhelming in scope, paralysis by analysis is not an option. Immediate measures can, and must be made in order to show its citizens, healthcare providers, and the world, that Kurdistan is serious about entering into the 21st century. There is no more visible sign to the rest of the world that Kurdistan is open for business and investment, than building on the relative security of the region by providing a modern healthcare delivery system. But more importantly, reform is needed to save lives. Far too many holes exist in the system today that allow for the lack of necessary access and education of citizens to improve their lives through the proper prevention and treatment of illnesses.

Building the Foundation:
One of the fundamental building blocks that must be in place to affect change is the basic collection and sharing of clinical documentation and medical records. Today this process is archaic and paper-based, if done at all. The result is that every doctor is an island of information. A patient seen by one doctor can show up at another, or in an Emergency Room, and the receiving provider will have no knowledge of any previous history or conditions. Obviously, this environment cannot continue. Patient safety demands reform. But there are many other problems that this broken system creates. The abuse of this system by patients or even providers for personal gain has an enormous financial drain on precious resources that are needed for better patient care.

Even the most advanced nations of the world have significant challenges due to the historical development of the newest EMR and HER systems. Getting vendors and government agencies to agree on standards and then integrate the countless systems out there is a very complex and costly proposition. The advantage Kurdistan has, is that we have no such systems or prior investment to protect. While nirvana may be to have a single, robust, EMR system implemented throughout the region, there are many financial, technical, educational, and cultural reasons that is not realistic anytime soon.

But Kurdistan cannot wait on nirvana. It doesn’t exist yet. There are however steps that can be taken to prepare the way, and make an enormous immediate impact, both in patient care, and in driving out costs and abuse.

Recommended First Step:
One of the pioneers in the development of EMR systems and co-founder of the second largest medical transcription company in the world, Alex Poston, an American, recognized that all of the industry investment was being focused only on the largest University-based hospitals and systems, while smaller medical practices or even standalone doctors were being shut out of the progress made. So he set out to create a company to address this ignored piece of the market. In order to meet the need, the system would need to be able to integrate into virtually any system, be fully supported remotely without the need for onsite IT personnel, be simple for doctors to use, security compliant, and the information must be able to be accessed from anywhere at anytime via an online portal. And it goes without saying, that the market he wanted to serve, would not be able to pay a huge sum of money in capital expenditures. Thus, the creation of VocalEZ.

VocalEZ utilizes the power and ubiquity of the Internet, to securely capture dictation, create clinical documentation, and then make it available to anyone with permission to see the records. By allowing the doctors to simply speak into a microphone, the need for extensive training and support are negligible. The intelligence of the systems resides in the cloud; issues like integration, security, and maintenance are eliminated.

By implementing this solution, Kurdistan could instantly make an impact both in statement and in fact that Healthcare reform is on the way. Every doctor could use this system, regardless of where they are, or what infrastructure they have in place. The result would be a centralized repository for electronic clinical documentation. The healthcare delivery culture would be forever changed immediately. Abuse and inflated costs could be identified and contained. The cost for the system is outline on the attached sheet. These costs are minimal, even by western standards, and the financial impact in Kurdistan offset these expenditures many times over – all while saving lives.

As Kurdistan’s Healthcare system matures, all of the information that has been collected and stored can easily integrate/interface into other systems and processes that are adopted in coming years.

Because this architecture is so flexible, it can be adopted at a doctor, clinic, hospital, or even national level. There are many ways to utilize this system that each can address multiple issues Kurdistan faces in building its Healthcare delivery network. In addition to implementing their technology solution, VocalEZ also provides access to some of the brightest and most experienced Healthcare IT professionals in the world. That value-added insight and expertise can be very helpful as Kurdistan tackles the complex issues of setting the foundation upon which to build a modern Healthcare delivery system.

Saturday, August 8, 2009

Kurdistan Parliament; Health Policy Challanges and Opportunities

The parliament of Kurdistan faces a host of public health challenges that represent health policy opportunities. Addressing those public health issues through appropriate bills, that establish for policies at the health infrastructure levels, would prove beneficial not only for the ordinary people but also a great political move for gaining support and votes in future elections.
The people of Kurdistan face a range of public health risks that transcend political and partisan differences and conflicts. Addressing those risks could prove a chance to mitigate the political tensions arose during the election campaign and provide an avenue for starting a calm and responsible dialogue among the members of the parliament of different political lists and parties.
This is an invitation for professionals, policy makers and other stakeholders to start brainstorming about the public health priorities that can be addressed through bills in the Parliament,
1. Enrichment of Flour with Folic Acid: In my 10 years tenure in Medicine, I have seen many cases of Anencephaly, Spina Bifida and other neural tube defects in labor rooms and maternity hospitals. In fact my own sister and aunt had had abortions due to significant neural tube defects in their embryos. Despite the fact that we don't have solid data demonstrating the incidence and prevalence of neural tube defect, but I think enriching the flour we eat with folic acid would be much more cost effective even that starting a study to document the problem.
2. A Mental Health Act: The mentally ill people of Kurdistan are among the most disadvantaged people of the country. A host of political, economic and social factors had contributed to only increasing the incidence and prevalence of mental illness but also negatively impacted the stigmatization and further marginalization of this vulnerable population. It is necessary to address this issue by the parliament through passing an act that help to protect, respect and fulfil the rights of people with mental illness and retardation.
3. Eliminating Leed in Gas: Iraq is one of the developing countries that still have leed in the automobile gas. Leed has a host of serious health consequences that affect the intellectual capacities and cognitive functions of kids and adults. Its important to start thinking about ways of eliminating Leed from gas.
4. Use of technology in Health care: Modern technology is one of the prerequisite for an advanced and successful business in today's world. The health care system is way behind other industries in adopting new technologies like computers and the Internet for the provision of health care services. The latter tools would decrease the incidence of errors, enhance the quality of the provided health care and increase the speed with which health care services are provided in addition to providing a platform for research and data analysis. The archaic paper based system of health care provision in Kurdistan is so old to sustain and costing the system much needed resources while doesn't prevent human errors and undermine the quality of health care services.
There are other issues that are non-partisan and transcend political and partisan conflicts that we can start working on before addressing more sensitive and politically polarizing issues like the separation of public and private sector's of the health care system and paralyzing involvement of politics in health care.

Saturday, August 1, 2009

From Politics to Policies

When I was a kid, we had a couple of beehives at home. Every now and then, a group of bees were making a crowd in front of the hive and we, the kids, had to anticipate were they are going so that we could get them inside a new home and settle them close to the other beehives.
As similar as our life as human beings to the behavior of the bees, I wish we were less complicated. Once the new beehive settled in their new place, the only thing that was shared between the neighboring beehives with the inability of their members to invade the other beehive.
At this stage, the political picture in Kurdistan is very similar to that metaphor. The opposition was mainly created by prominent members of Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the party of the Iraqi president Jalal Talabni, whose sun is the representative of the Kurdistan Regional Government in the United States.
it is understandable that the electoral process in Kurdistan have been rigged by a number of irregularities that we should not stop exposing and trying to fix. This could be a great political move for the present time in part of the opposition. But the strategic challenges that face us as Kurds are much bigger than tactical political maneuvering. We need to transcend our individual and political differences and disagreements and think about the bigger picture.
This becomes even more important and necessary when we take into consideration the little if any ideological differences between the leading two main political parties the PUK and KDP on one hand and the main opposition list on the other. In fact I don't see any differences, ideology-wise between the two. The only difference is the demand of the Change list, rightly, for more accountability and transparency in the work of the government, the eradication of corruption, patronage and limits on the rule of law.
The failure to transcend individual, political and regional differences and conflicts between the political establishment and the opposition, can results in political stagnation and stalemate.
What the people of Kurdistan need now are policies rather than politics. Lets go to work with bills in the parliament that can be passed in a bipartisan way. The embryos of Kurdistan need the flour that the mothers eat be enriched with folic acid, the kids of Kurdistan need the air they breath be empty from the lead our cars are emitting, the mentally ill need a mental health act in the parliament that respect, protect and fulfil their rights in a humane way, and our girls need a bill that protect their body from genital mutilation, this to name only few urgent matters in the public health arena.
Public health people, this is for you, lets come up with a bill that protects the health of our people and wish that politicians will forget their differences and go to work with us.