JDN-NEWSLETTER-ISSUE-08-2015

JDN
The World Medical Association, Inc.
L’association Medicale Mondiale, Inc.
Associación Médica Mundial, Inc.
Newsletter
JUNIOR DOCTORS NETWORK
ISSN- 2312-220X
JDN Newsletter 8
Issue 8-2015 October – 2015
30th CMAAO Meeting
Yangon, Myanmar, 2015
2 3JDN JDN
The WMA JDN continues to
grow and becomes the leading
voice for young doctors globally.
There is also emerging of local
junior doctor organization in each
continent.
This issue include –
Ahmet Murt, MD makes chair
address.
– Michael van Niekerk
introduces The Junior Doctors
Association of South Africa.
– Wunna Tun reports on
CMAAO meeting in his home
town
Editorial
There have been many challenges
that the junior doctors traditionally
face. Many of them are inter-linked
with the changes in today’s
healthcare service. Increasing
number of patients seeking acute
care as well as the mission of
offering more intensed follow-up to
the chronic conditions make the
healthcare deivery more
demanding today. This has direct
negative consequences for the
working conditions of junior doctors
who in many countries of the world
make up the major health work
force. In addition to this workload,
there is claimed to be a shortage of
physicians and other healtchare
staff. As a result; junior doctors are
also assigned some other tasks
Dr. Wunna Tun
Communication
Director
JDN, WMA
Editor in Chief,
JDN Newsletter,
WMA
. – Konstantinos Louis and Konstantinos
Roditis discuss about modern odyssey:
a refugee crisis tale
– Fehim Esen and Ahemt Murt share
about the IFMSA GA meeting in
Antalya, Turkey.
I am sure you will enjoy the stories
in this issue .
which are not directly related to their
job or education.
It shouldn’t be surprising for you, if I
claim that the work done by junior
doctors are neither paid proportionally
nor compensated relevantly. This is
also the fact for almost all healthcare
staff. Although the demand from the
healthcare staff is increasing each
day, the resources are still kept
limited and those limited resources
are being allocated for expenses
other than healthcare staff salaries.
Most interestingly, while the system
demands for more medical
graduates, employment of physicians
are kept disproportionally low. These
have brought big pressure on the
shoulders of physicians as well as
newly graduated young generation.
WMA JDN OFFICERS 2014/2015
Written by Dr.
Ahmet Murt
Chair , WMA
JDN
4 5JDN JDN
Editors:
Dr. Wunna Tun
(Communication Director)
Dr. Ricardo Correa
(Publication Director)
oficcers
Presidentes e diretores
(Lista)
Join the group of
Junior Doctor Network of
World Medial Association
Contact: jdn@wma.net
White Paper
Social media and medical professionalism
Relevant Junior Doctor Policy
Ethical Implications of Collective Action by
Physicians
Current projects
Doctors’ health and wellbeing
Global health training and its ethical impli-
cations
Quality in postgraduate medical education
and training
Diagramação
Logo – Suport
AMB – Associação Médica Brasileira
* The JDN is an initiative of individual Associate
Members of the WMA. The information and opinions
expressed in this newsletter represent the opinions
of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those
of the WMA. WMA and WMAJDN assumes no legal
liability or responsibility for the accuracy, complete-
ness, or usefulness of any information present.ted
Written by: Dr Michael van Niekerk JUDASA National Secretary General
While the medical profession is not given
its natural right to self-govern or at least
self-regulate, what physicians can do to
save the healthcare is generally thought to
be limited. When there is an unintended
outcome, the politicians are unfairly
targetting the physicians instead of
confessing the pitfalls of the system they
impose on medical profession.
National medical associations and other
medical professional associations are trying
to influence the law-makers and authorities
for better planned healthcare service which
is a pre-requisite for healthy future. Joint
action of medical associations regionally
and globally make our profession seem
more powerful and we are very happy to
see some small but quite important
changes that are implemented both by
global community and national
governments upon the request of the
World Medical Association.
Junior doctors, as a group of medical
professionals trying to progress in their
careers, are in need of coordinated
education and training as well as an
effective mentorship. Although they form
the major health workforce in many
countries, provision of healthcare by this
group shouldn’t be in expense of offering
them quality education opportunities.
Junior Doctors Network has been in the
service of junior doctors across the globe
by providing nation-wide or regional
collaborations. On behalf of my team I
would like to once more emphasize the
dedication of Junior Doctors Network to
support all junior doctors wherever and in
what need they are.
South Africa – a rainbow nation built from
a deep history and boasting with
diversity, with no exception to its
healthcare system. JUDASA –
representing the junior doctors of South
Africa has the unique privilege of
standing with doctors and patients in
addressing the continuous challenges
faced by so many South Africans in the
public healthcare system.
Formed by a group of interns in 1992 it is
has been instrumental in providing a
platform for junior doctors to voice their
opinions, concerns and provided a seat at
the bargaining table.
With South Africa’s vastly diverse nation,
which showcases in the public healthcare
system it is at the order of the day for a
doctor to see and treat patients speaking
different languages (with South Africa’s
eleven official languages), see patients
from different cultures, dealing with
traditional healers and practices and not
to forget the colossal disparity between
the wealthy and poor and its
complications.
As with any healthcare system across the
globe each country encompasses unique
problems but also in some aspects the
same for instance overtime hours, wages,
adequate training and so forth, which is
also the case in South Africa. Our diverse
country however, also poses various
problems not so prevalent in developed
countries such as a massive HIV positive
The Junior Doctors Association of South Africa
population with the infection of patients with
Tuberculosis and now Multi-Drug Resistant
Tuberculosis increasing dramatically.
This poses another dilemma to those
representing junior doctors in South Africa
which is occupational safety where more and
more documented cases of health care
professionals being infected by TB and even
MDR-TB are documented.
Reform and transformation within medical
education and training is another issue that is
currently receiving attention, intended to
positively impact the profession in terms of the
quality and accessibility of healthcare in South
Africa.
Within all these issues it is of utmost
importance for organisations like JUDASA and
the South African Medical Association to form
a collective response and stance with regards
to the vision for healthcare in South Africa and
to refrain from easily becoming bureaucratic
institutions that adopt values within the status
quo to maintain stability.
JUDASA aims to be progressive, dynamic and
flexible to adapt and react to the challenges
and obstacles faced by so many junior doctors
in South Africa. It will continue to work to
affect change, build a legacy within the
healthcare system and aim to sustain future
relevance.
6 7JDN JDN
JDN @ CMAAO
Septermber Meeting
2015, Yangon,
Myanmar
Written by
Wunna Tun MBBS, MD,
Founder, Myanmar Medical
Association, Young Doctor
Society
the second day of CMAAO
meeting was continued with
the thirteen Taro Takemi
memorial Oration. This
program was chaired by Dr.
Yoshitake YOKOKURA,
President of Japan Medical
Association and the presenter
was Prof. Pe Thet Khin,
immediate past Minister of
Heatlh of Myanmar. Prof. Pe
Thet Khin presented the
Memorial Oration on
“Ensuring Food Safety: Safer
food for a safer world”. Then,
the president of JMA
presented a plaque to Orator.
After the coffee break, the
symposium “Ensure Food
Safety: An important
challenge today” was
continued. This session was
chaired by Dr.Dong Chun
Shin and the representatives
of attending conference
presented and discussed
reports on food safety for
aiming a safer world.
Then, all the attending national
medical associations reported
their progresses with their
country reports.
Dr. Otmar visited the Myanmar
Medical Association and
welcomed by Dr. Wunna and
met with office staff of MMA.
There are 3 Junior Doctor
Network member of World
Medical Associaiton attended
the meeting. Dr. Eugene
Macalinga from Philippines
Medical Association, Dr.
Kazuhiro from Japan Medical
Association and Dr. Wunna
Tun from Myanmar Medical
Association attended the
meeting.
JDN members met with local
member of Myanmar Medical
Association, Young Doctor
Society.
There is also an separate
JDN meeting during the
Conference discussed about
cooperation and collaboration
with Asia Pacific Junior
Doctors and future of junior
doctor in CMAAO meeting.
CMAAO Meeting
September 2015,
Yangon, Myanmar
The 30th CMAAO General
Assembly and 51st Council
Meeting hosted by Myanmar
Medical Association were
conducted at Chatrium Hotel,
Yangon, The Republic of Union
of Myanmar from 23rd to 25th
September 2015. The opening
ceremony was started at 1:00
PM local time on 23rd
September 2015 and chaired by
Dr. Dong Chun Shin. Secretary
General of CMAAO,Dr Masami
ishii made roll call. Then, Prof.
Rai Mra delivered the
welcoming address and Dr.Jose
Ase Sabili, President of CMAAO
also gave the presndiential
speech. After that, Dr. Ardis
Hoven, Chair of the Council of
the World Medical Association
(WMA) addressed the speech.
Congratulations remark by WMA
General Secretary, Dr. Otmar
Kloiber was followed. The
meeting installed the 33rd
President of CMAAO for
2015-2016, to Prof. Rai Mra,
President of Myanmar Medical
Association. There were 70
delegates representing from 15
National Medical Association
from Asia and Oceania Region.
8 9JDN JDN
A modern odyssey: a refugee crisis
tale
Written by: Konstantinos Louis, MD, PhD, resident in Obstetrics/Gynaecology and
Konstantinos Roditis, MD, MSc, resident in Vascular Surgery, JDN-Hellas
Months later and after many miles of red tape, they
were piled up in a ferry that brought them to the
port of Piraeus, and then were guided to downtown
Athens only to be put together with thousands of
other refugees at the Champs de Mars Park
(Pedion tou Areos) waiting to leave Greece and
travel to Germany, hopefully one day…
That is where and when a social solidarity NGO
staff found her and after examining her, sent her to
our outpatient clinic for further consultation as she
suffered from chronic pelvic pain for some time
now…
And her odyssey still goes on…
“ a true
modern
odyssey, alas
without the
poetics and
lyrism of
Homer’s
epics,”
Mrs Nigat came one day last summer to the Obstetrics/
Gynaecology outpatient clinic of our hospital seeking
free medical advice, offered to refugees through the
Greek Social Security Service.
Her story startled us, a true modern odyssey, alas
without the poetics and lyrism of Homer’s epics, a
harsh, painful story filled with adventurism and the
cruelty of cowards, of men without any signs of
humanity.
Her town was situated at the Syrian borders with
Turkey, she was driven out from home as staying there
proved impossible due to hostilities in the area, she
and her husband along with their two little daughters
soon found themselves in detention camps close to the
Turkish border, after having sold their property for
crumbs to usurers and after having escaped from the
hands of jihadists who would sell them as slaves or kill
the men and rape the women and girls only to sell
them later – like what was happening at the camp they
visited next – as harem slavegirls to rich westerners or
Arabs…
They had agreed with slavers from Turkey all the
details for their journey of hope to Europe.
Two were their escape routes; either through Greece
after walking all the way to Izmir and crossing the
Aegean that would cost them 10000 € each, and then
walking again to cross the Balkans in order to finally
reach Sweden, their final destination – or so they were
told – or through the Eastern Balkan route after walking
all the way to Istanbul and then to Germany using
falsified travel documents provided by the traffickers,
where they would apply for asylum. That option would
cost them 40000 € each, an amount of money they
could never afford.
Given that reason, one
calm warm summer
evening, they were led
aboard a rubberboat that
sailed in the Aegean Sea…
Only to find themselves
struggling with the waves,
after their traffickers sank
the boat intentiously and
vanished fast with a jetty…
They were saved hours
later by local people and
tourists, almost midday,
when they stepped upon a
far-away coast of the island
of Samos in Greece… After
a long, tiring walk, they
reached the local school,
wearing just their
underwear, having lost all
their belongings in the sea…
The absence of organized State services was obvious from the first moment, as only
soldiers brought them food and water every day, followed by local families and
sensitized tourists who offered them clothes, shoes and other amenities, all on their
expense, while at the same time they gave them courage and psychological support,
which of course they needed badly, after having suffered much all the way, people
unrooted from their homes, their homeland, homeless and hopeless in a foreign land,
among foreigners…
Save the date! Upcoming
meetings in 2015-2016
Meeting, Mosocw, Russia
– April 27th, 2016: JDN meeting
– May 21st – 22nd, 2016 : JDN Meeitng
– October 12th – 13th, 2015: WMA JDN
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Ferney, France
10 11JDN JDN
WMA/JDN organized a meeting in
Antalya entitled “JDN:
Opportunities, Projects and
Initiatives) at the same venue with
IFMSA March Meeting in Antalya,
allowing access of IFMSA
members/alumni to the event.
Eighteen participants from 6
countries attended the meeting. Dr.
Ahmet Murt, JDN chair explained
the roles of junior doctors in
today’s medical profession. Dr.
Thorsten Hornung, past JDN chair
presented the foundation and
development of JDN. Dr. Fehim
Esen, secretary general of Turkish
Young Doctors Platform shared
their experience with regional
collaborations and regional
meetings in JDN. After being
informed on the current situation
of junior doctors and the role of
JDN, Dr. Jonathan Schütze, IFMSA
alumni director, explained the
overlapping projects of IFMSA and
discussed possible collaboration
opportunities. After understanding
the roles of the organizations, the
participants discussed specific
junior doctor issues in their
countries and came up with some
common suggestions to improve
the conditions of junior doctors.
Some of the important issues are
listed below:
• The work at teaching hospitals,
which are not directly related to
education, should not be left to
doctors in training.
• The junior doctors who are at
the phase of their postgraduate
education should not face the
consequences of just being an
employee, their needs as trainees
should be respected.
• Workplace learning is an
effective way of learning during
postgraduate phase. The workload
and training/education requirements of
junior doctors should be planned in a
balance.
• The roles of supervisors during
postgraduate education are quite
important. National or regional
organizations that are working for
education should encourage
development of effective and
constructive supervising skills. Peer-to-
peer interactions should also be
supported.
• The work done and
responsibilities taken by junior doctors
should not be underestimated. It
should be structured and paid.
• JDs deserve a positive working
environment with relevant number of
mentors who have relevant
qualifications.
WMA/JDN Meeting at IFMSA GA in Antalya
Dr. Fehim Esen, Secretary General, Turkish Young Doctors Association
Dr. Ahmet Murt, Chair, JDN
junior doctors deserve a positive working
environment with relevant number of mentors
• Wellbeing and
health of JDs should be
protected by the
authorities. Every single
junior doctor deserves
corruption and violence
free learning and
working environments.
• Lack of or improper planning of
employment, imbalance of generalists/
specialists in some countries and regions
puts the future of our profession in risk.
• Junior doctors should be consulted
while plans of workforce are being done.
• Globalization of medicine (e.g.
standardization of education, international
placements of healthcare workers etc.) and
its consequences (e.g. brain drain etc.) are
suggested to be in the agenda of junior
doctors.
• JDs should be accepted to
postgraduate posts according to a fair
selection processes.
• JDs should receive enough salaries
for their living costs. Examples from some
countries where junior doctors have to pay
for postgraduate education while they are
also serving as a part of health work force
are unacceptable.
• Violence against doctors, independent
of background reasons is unacceptable
• The regional partnerships and
collaboration of junior doctors should be
supported by the JDN.