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W OR L D HEALTH ORGANIZATION
REGIONAL OFFICE FOR THE
EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN
.j,:l\..l' ~, 4!;y'
~..v' .r,' V/J ~ ..v' ~I
ORGANISATION MONDIALE DE LA SANTE
BUREAU REGIONAL DE LA MEDITERRANEE ORIENT ALE
REG roNAL COMMITrEE FOR THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN
EM/RCl4A/Min.l December 1964
y?~rteenth Session ORIGINAL: ENGLISH
SUB-COMMITI'EE A
MIN1lTES OF THE FIRST MEETING
Held at the BUilding of the Nursing Insitute, Sula5?1khat, Kuwait
on Saturday, 3 October 1964, at 10 a.m.
CHAIRMAN: Dr. V. VASSILOPOULOS (Cyprus)
Later Mr. Y. :JtSS!M HIJJI (Kuwait)
CONTENTS
1. Opening of the Session
2. Address by the Minister of Health of Kuwait
3. Election of Chairman
4. Address by the Chairman
5. Election of Vice-Chairmen
6. Addresses by the Regional Director and the Representative of the Director-General
7. Proposal by the Representative of Iraq
8. Address by the Director of Medical Services of Kuwait
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EH!RCl4A!Hin.l page 2
Representattves of Member States
Government
CYPRUS
ETHIOPIA
FRANCE
IRAN
IRAQ
JORDAN
KOllArT
IEBANON
LIBYA
PAKISTAN
SAUDI ARABIA
SOWILIA
SUDAN
SYRIAN ARJlB REPUBLIC
TllHSIA
UNITED ARA.B REPUBLIC
UilITED KIi'iGDOH OF GREAT ERI Tfilll AIID NORTHERN IRELAND
YEJVIEN
Representati ve I Alternate or Adviser
Dr. V. Vassilopoulos
Ato Hailu Sebsebie
Hedecin Lieutenant-Colonel Constant
Dr. A.H. Samii Er. Z. Davidian
Dr. Sabih Al-lvahbi Dr. Salman Taj-al-Din
Dr. Khaled El Shami
fir. Youssef Jassim Hijji Dr. A.Kamal El Borai Dr. Yehia Shaker Dr. N. Abdulkader Dr. Aly Onsi Dr. Nabih Farhat
Dr. Jamil Anouti
Dr. Abdul lIegid Abdel Hadi
Colonel il.F .M. Eorhanuddin Dr. S. Mahfuz Ali Dr. Hamid Ali Khan
H.E. Mr. Abdullahi lsila l10hammud l'lr. Adan Farah Abrar
Dr. Zein El Abdin Ibrahim
Dr. N.T. Hachicha
Dr. Nohammed Abdell,Jahab Shukri Dr. Sayed Svreilim Dr. Hashem Hahmoud El Kadi Dr. Abdul Azim Hussein El GholJni Dr. Abu El Fotouh Shaheen Dr. Imam Zaghloul El Sayed
Dr. C.R. Jones
Representatives of Associate Member States
QATAR Dr. Mahmoud El Nishad
\-Jorld Health Organization
Secretary to the Sub-Committee
Representative of the DirectorGeneral
Deputy-Secretary to the Sub-Committee
United Nations and Specialized Agencies
UNITED NATIONS and TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE BOARD (U.:T[J3)
UNI'illD NATIONS CHILDREN'S rum (mlICEF)
mll'rED NATIONS P.ELIEF AND HORKS .AGENCY FOR PAIESTINE REFUGEES (1.n'IRHA)
EH!ItCllWHin.l page 3
Dr. A.H. Taba, Regional Director
Dr. P .11. Kaul, Assistant DirectorGernral
Dr. A.il. El Halawani, Deputy Regional Director
Nr. S. Kar
Mr.Werner G.F. Middelmann
Dr. M. Sharif
~~tatives and Observers of International Non-Governmental, Inter-Governmental and National Organizations
IEAGUE OF ARAB STATES
IllTERlIATIONAL !~SOCIATION FOR THE PREVENTION OF BLHlDNESS
mTERNI,TIONAL DENTAL FEDERATION
IEl,GUE OF RED CROSS SOCIETIES
US NAVAL }lEDICAL RESElti~CH milT NO.3 (US llJlMRU 3)
Dr.
Dr.
Dr.
Dr.
Dr.
Ghaith el Zerikly
TOufic Turk
George Soudah
Sabih Al-vJahbi
J.D. Northway
EE/RclWl/Hi.n. 1 oage 4
1. OPElJING OF THE ~ESSION Iten 1 of the Provisional Agenda
Dr. VASSILOPOULOS (Cyprus), Vice-Chairr,oan at the Thirteenth Session and Acting
Chairman in the absence of the Chairman of that Session, in declaring the meeting
opened, expressed the gratitude of all members of the Suo-Committee for the
hospitality shmm to them from the first mOlClent they had landed in :Cu,'mit.
2. ADDRESS BY THE HINISTER OF HEALTH OF K'J1,AIT
H.E. Hr. ABDUL LA'rIF AL-THUNBJJ, Hinister of Health of I\uwait, welcomed
representatives on behalf of h'is Government and wished them a pleasant stay in the
country. He was looking forcmrd to participating in an exchange of vie .. s .. hich
would be all the more fruitful for the friendly atmosphere in >rhich it ~JOuld be
conducted.
He commended the stIBnuous and effective efforts being exerted by the Regional
Office in many countries of the Region and referred in particular to the valuable
assistance his = Hinistry "as receiving, and .. ould, he hoped, continue to receive.
,Ihile thanking HHO for its "ork in the health field he also ,-rished to pay
tribute to UIJICEF, TAB; FAO, UNESCO, and the; other United Nations bodies for the
assistance theY.Jere providing to all cou,,-cries ~li thout distinction of race, and
more particularly to the developing countries, .. hose needs .. ere the greatest.
KUl'ait Has keen to cooperate closely l1i th all international organizations devoted
to promo-c,ing h1llnan ,T8lfa~o8, and looked tmards the future with confidence and
o;?tir.lismCl
After expressing the hope that his C,overml1ent l s excellent relations ,lith llHO
Hould be further developed and strengthened, he >Jished the Suh-Committee success
in its fine humanital'i.:;n e:'ldeai;-ours ..
3, :,LECTIO!: 0:;;' CHAIRl1AN; Item 2 of the Provisional Agenda
::'he ACTlilG CH!'JBYlA;! invitee'- nominations for the post of Chairman.
Dr. ABlliL HPJJI (Ie_by,,), p.-oeosed lIr. Jassim Hijji (Ku .. ait).
Decision: )1:'. JASSLH H.-JJI Has elected by acclamation and took the Chair.
4.. ADDRESS BY THE CF.AIRl1AN
E}!/RCl.4A/Hil'l. 1 page 5
The CHAIRHAN, after emressing a')Prcciation of the honour done to h:iJnself and
to his country by his appointment, thanked Dr. Kaul, the Assistant Director-General,
for attending the session as renresentative of the Director-General, to whom he
requested him to convey sincere good wishes. He also thanked the Eegional Director
and his staff for all they had done to organize the holding of the session in
Kuwaj_t, and expressed his confidence that the discussions .10uld be fruitful and
of benefit to the health of the Region.
He congratulated the Emirate of Qatar on its accession to associate membership
and welcomed its representative to the session. He hoped it would soon be possible
to hail the entry of other emirates of -the Arabian Gulf to the Organization.
In conclusion, he conveyed to the Sub-Committee the best vlishes of his Govern
ment for the success of the meeting nm, being held in his country.
5. EIECTIOll OF VICE-CHAIRllEN: Item 2 of the Previsional Agenda
The CHAImltlN called for nominations for the posts of ttro Vioo-ChzI.i.n:lcn.
Dr. EL BORJ..I (Ku1fait), proposed Dr. Anouti (Lebanon).
Decision: Dr. Anouti was unani!l1OUsly Glected Vice-Chainnan.
The CHAIRl1AN invited nominations for the second post of Vice-Chairman.
Dr. EL SH1\1{I (Jordan) proposed H.E. l!r. Abdullahi Issa HohanmIud (Somalia).
Decision : H.E, Hr. fibdullahi Issa llohammud was unanimously elected Vice-Chairman
6. ADDRESSE:S BY THE REGIOllAL DIRECTOR 11ill THE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DIRECTCJR..QENSr:.,'.c,
The rr;GIOllAL DIRECTOR_, on behalf of \lHO, iVelcomed the reprcsentativm to the
Fourteenth Session of the Regional Commi-ttee and ex;nessed thanks and deep apprecia
tion to 'ohe Government of KU>Jai t and to H.E. It--. Abdul' Latif ll-Thuninn, Einistcr of
Public Health, for their kind invitation and generous hospitality.
KUWait, so wisely using its oil,realth to contribute to public health, set a
particularly inspiring example of rapid social and general proe;ress with its up-to
dato medical and public health institutions, at a time when cOlh~tries of the
Region Here actively shaping their future. The impressive distillation plants to
EH!RC1WMin.'l page 6
change sea llater into drinking "later, the "lOde 1 network of hosni tals and health
centres, and the free medical care system, run on a health budget nearing a
quarter of the national budget, HCr:e maj or contributions to health "rog-ress and
achievements worthy Q-f careful attention.
He )J81c.omed the renresentative of the Director-General, Dr.' .E. Kaul, Assistant
Director-General, and also the representative of the State of Qatar, "hose recent
admission as Associat3 lL:c_'cc:' brought I,JRO regional membership to tnenty, against a
membership of vNclve "hen the Regional Office had been established fifteen years
befoI'EJ. It was also gratifying to note the increasing recognition by Governments
of the true nature and purpose of 'JHO.
The Regional Di::'ector's annual reoort, dealing mainly "ith the work accomplist.
ed during the previous year, also endeavoured briefly to assess the achievements,
shortcomings and experience gained during the :,ast fifteen years" and although muct
still remained to be done, they could rightfully look back with satisfaction on
their j oint contribution to heal'~h progress.
,lIe then referred to the encouraging results obtained from the all-out malaria
eradication drive '.hich had already orotected some 25% of the Region1s Dopulstion
at risk, the smaD_pox eradication cam,)aigns, the number of notified cases in the
ICegion during 1963 havin1, been the IGHest ever, the mass campaigns against trachona
bringing about So 50% d':'op )_'1 its prevalence in Hide areas, and the bilharziasis
controJ. pilo';-, pr')je-:ts "Hhich f'hm-I-cd steady experimental advances. H01Orever, ne1-.T
health prob le",s loomed in the teeming netropoli ta:l areas, such as the increasing
prevalence of ,cccrdiov2,scu12.r di seas3s, ca,_'cinomas, mental dis orders, occupational
diseases, radiation "d~2.rds and accidenGs. A significant trend was the ['~owing
de!1land for skilled uo"'~ker.3 in res8a::~h al!d tra'_ning activities resulting in a
tHofold incroase Si;C~3 1961 'C:l the ""nual number of such fellowships awarded by elHO.
A hiGh priority tGs!;:, accomt5.ng fa;: a large share of ,mo I s regional programme,
"as t'le htiildirg 1.Cp o!' a grmJinE', eadre Oi' doctors and health workers. Increased
assistance ''''.5 be'_n:; s'_ven by the Organization through advisory assistance to
medical facul +,je: '" ',;11'0'-,;:0 iy,'.er-countl'Y meetings and much \fas being done by
individua.:L ccunt.r'"es of the Eegio;l to produce more doctors: the number of medical
schools had 'nc""'lsed frc," 12 to 33 during the past fifteen years while medical
=pmoer, still cri +'i~ally i:lsu~ficient in \fide areas, would have increased 100%
'jn five years I """,me, Dee;oite all the efforts being Ir_ade, however, the challenge
was far from be:'-n.g leGe, "nd "'YLle all ,Jere aware of the magnitude of the task ahead,
EN/RC1Wl'Iin.1 page 7
he hoped they shared his feelinc that, IIi th the closo collaboration existing
between the Governments and the Organization, it ;Iould be possible to meet their
ever-l'fidening commitments and achieve greater accamplishrosnts in the years to
come.
He had already referred in his al1D11£1 I":mort to thc death of his distinguished
::>rodecessor Dr. Shousha, whose loss Has, he was sure, deeply fElt by all.
Dr. Shousha had not only been the first. Eegional Director arld ryrincipal founder
of the ccegional Office, but a pers anal fr\cmo. to himself and to many of those nm,
present. He therefore proposed that in Dr. Shousha1s memor"J the Sub-Comnittee
should observe one minute t s silence.
The Sub-Committee.stood in silence for one minute
Dr. KAUL, Assistant Director-Gen8ral, conveyed to the Sub-Committee the
Dcrector-General t s regrets at his inability to attend and his best wishes for the
success of its deliberations.
}llIO uas unique ",'nong international organizations for the regional structure
"hich had been "risely provided for by the framers of its Consti tutio."l, among "hom,
incidentally, the late Dr. Shousha had played an active part. The importance of
that regional structure ,ras twofold. In the first Dlace, it made it possible to
bring the problems of a given region into focus and to. concentrate on finding
appropriate solutions in the light of local conditions, concentrating efforts th2t
might become too diffused if exerted on a "Torld-,ride basis. Secondly, it enabled
the staff of the Regional Office to Hor), in close contact wi t.'1. the re')resentatives
of Bember States and to work out the most practical ,-JaYs to meet the requests of
governments. It 'VDuld thus be readily understood why the Director-General always
found it necessary either to atteEd the sessions of the regional conrr;ittees iIl
p3rson or to send one of his assistants.
He took the opportunity to mention "that the host country, Kuuait, though 2,
very young Eember State of HHO, had alread7 begun to playa full part in the life
of the Organization, not only at the regional 13vel but also at the uorld level,
since it had ;,een elected to destgnate one of the members of the HHO Executive
Board, l1hich, as the executive organ of the 1rlorld Health Assembly, contributed
directly to the solution of world health problems.
BE/RC1LA/Hin.l pap 13
F~nally, on behalf of the Director-General, he thanked the C'covenlHe"t. of
Kmmit for the fine modern building and t:le excellent facilities it had placed at
the disposal of the session. He 'i-tas attending ths llegional Commi"ctee for the fi~t
time and expected. himself t8 bencfi t grcatl~r from the experience. Unlike most
developing countries, ,'hich "ere short of all requirements for health proGress,
:,uwait possessed great J1'.aterial :reSOlCrces though it lacked qualified personnel,
and he "as looking fon .. ard to seeing for himself t!1e GOv-ernment's accelerated'
approach to the solution Of its problems.
7. PROPOSjl.L BY THE REPRE.'3ENTATIVE 01' IRAQ
Dr. AL 1'JAHBI (Iraq), after referring to the great loss sustained by all in the
death of Dr. Shousha, said he felt the great services rendered by the deceased to
the cause of world health should be commemorated in some fitting Hay. He there
fore proposed, firstly, that a telegram of condolences should be A.ddressed in the
name of the Sub-Committee to Dr. Shousha's family, and secondly, that a special
fund should be established to uhich LIenii:>er States in the Region ,muld contribute
and ['Ihich Hould be used to endmI a pri.ze for outstanding achievements in the
field of public health by doctors and research Horkers of the Region, same1mat
on the lines of the :Leon Bernard Foundation.
b. AiJDHESS BY THE DIRECTOR OF liEDICAL SERVICES OF KU\~AIT
Dr. EL BOP.AI (KuHait), on behalf of 1,is delegation thanked all those that
were participating in the Hark of 'c,he Sub-Committee for having honoured
Km~,i.t "lith their presence and exoresoed the wish that their stay "ould be as
long as possible.
He proposed to speak briefly on KUHai'c and its health services, since that
c,'ould enable the members of the Sub-Committee, and eS0ecially those l1ho had not
'1reviously visited the country, to lmoF :Je'oter ",hat ,,,as taking oh'l.Ce there.
The popUlation of K'uTHit >'as about 400,000 and the area 16,000 square
Jrilametrcs. 'l'he traveller comingGG ;cmrai t could not fail to be imYJI'8ssed by
',hat he saH the nen'1Ork of asphalted roads lined Hith trees and Hell lit
2nd the modern city 1'1i th blocks of tall buildings which b are witness to the
~l'odigious ef:forts made 1.lY the Government fer the welfare 0,:' the oopulation
:md of all those ',Tho had taken up r8sidonce in the countr:i. Kuwait had many
')(:autiful buildings, of ,·,hich the Tmm Enll cmd the I1inistry of Infonnation and
EM/RCl4A;Min .1 page '9
Guidance were outstanding examples, and the schools and institutes were remarkably
built and maintained. There were already 160 schools and by 1965 there would be
180, attended by 80,000 pupils. There was a school health service with 35 doctors,
including 6 specialists and 10 dentists.
In the coming years the Government intended to set up the University of Kuwait.
Another achievement of which Kuwait was proud was the Central Mechanized Kitchen,
;,hich would prepare free meals for the pupils.
Kuwait had a giant water distillation works which was in operation day and
night to provide the town with more than 24 million litres of water per day; that
wa.s in addition to a natural wa-Ger Gource which provided half that quantity to the
town and its suburbs.
Five miles from the centre of the town was the health suburb. The Al Sabah
Hospital, which was the largest in the Middle East, was situated there; it had 700
beds and its capacity could be increased bJ another hundred beds if necessary. There
>Tere three chest hospitals, with 800 beds in all, and 20 lung disease specialists
,.orked there. Tuberculosis was KUNait's most important public health problem.
'Ireatment was free of charge to all and at the present time two-thirds of the avail
able beds werc occupied by non-Kuwaitis.
The health suburb also contained an ultra-modern psychiatric hospital with ~OO
beds and 8 specialists, an osteological su~gery hospital and an ophthalmological
':lospital, with 200 beds and 20 doctors, most of whom were specialists.
2.1so a communicable eye <l.isease hospital 'lith a hundred beds.
There was
Apart from the hospitals in the health suburb there was a 500-bed general
hospite.l (the first established in Kuwait) with 50 doctors, a 150-bed obstetric
hospital staffed by 15 speCialists, an isolation leprosarium for leprosy cases, and
37 dispensaries including eleven combined health centres covering the whole of Kuwait
3,nd staffed by 120 doctors viho provided general medical care for the population.
In short, Kuwait was equipped witll complete preventive medical services and
also curative services, a special health guidance and education section, a maternal
and child health service, a central health laboratory with peripheral laboratories,
~ pharmacy in each trGatment centre, a dental section staffed by 25 dentists, a
radiology section with five speCialists and twenty highly qualified photographers,
and a special radiological and radium treat!",ent centre at the Al Sabah Hospital. In
addition, cobalt treatment was to be started in a special radiation and radio-isotope
u6ntre which would have a capacity of 60 beds. In a fevl months building would start
on another 600-bed hospital sDe miles from the town of Kuwait.
EM!RC14A!Min .1 page 10
Kuwait's health institutions were being set up in accordance with predetermined
plans. Their objectives had been well defined, and the first objective was the
assessment of the health problems. The main problem was tuberculosis, then trachoma,
then the problem resulting from the large number of sick persons coming into the
country, and finally the shortage of qualified staff. The second objective was to
provide the necessary health protection and treatment for all citizens; and the third
and last was the raising of the level of the health and medical services.
Efforts were being intensified to achieve the objectives as quickly as possible.
Under the health registration plan which had been launched in Kuwait two years pre
viously, every citizen had to have_a health identity card, to be carried on his person,
and had to be registered at the dispensary nearest his place of residence, where a
special file was kept for him and his family. Doctors were appointed to staff the
dispensaries in the proportion of one for every 3,000 population. Upon arrival at
the dispensary every patient was examined and the appropriate treatment prescribed,
or if necessary, he was referred for specialized examination in a hospital and either
hospitalized or placed in the care of his family doctor.
The dispensaries were open for four hours in the morning and two in the after-
noon. For every group of three or four dispensaries there was a combined health
centre open 24 hours a day. The centres performed the same functions as the dis pen-
sary for the regions in which they were located, taking over from the dispensary cases
requiring urgent attention. Each combined health centre had a maternal health centre,
an office of preventive medicine and a dental clinic. The comprehensive health
centres in the outlYing regions were equipped with ophthalmological and gynaecological
clinics. That had made it possible to establish medical services in remote areas
and to provide each combined centre in such areas with ten more beds for delivery.
The organizational structure he had outlined ,.,as constantly being improved but
the essential basis of the project would be finalized within a year or two. He
hoped that members of the Sub-Committee would have the opportunity to visit some of
the dispensaries and combined centres.
The health authorities in Kuwait did not remain satisfied with what had been
achieved, but were constantly trying to do better.
The meeting rose at 11.35 a.m.