INFO-FLASH  INFO-FLASH  INFO-FLASH  INFO-FLASH  INFO-FLASH

CURRENT AND PAST ISSUES OF THE INFO-FLASH NEWSLETTER ARE AVAILABLE ON                           OUR WEBSITE: www.amic.ca                                                                                                                                   

 

Þ Þ Þ Þ Þ No12  No12  No12  No12 Ü Ü Ü Ü Ü

 

November 2011

 

THE AMIC NEWSLETTER

 

I-      President of Lebanon decorates Professor Akiskal with Medal of Health Merit of the first degree

 

At the end of the month of October, 2011, Professor Hagop Akiskal, who was one of the main speakers on the plenary sessions’ panels during the 3rd Armenian International Congress in Armenia was invited to Lebanon, to attend an international psychiatry congress on "Burning Issues in Psychiatry."

The readers of AMIC’s Info-Flash know about the international fame and multiple awards received by Professor Akiskal during his career. However the recognition (honorary professorship from Balamand University of Lebanon) honours (by the Lebanese Order of Physicians) and a decoration received in Lebanon from the President of the Republic (see below) seem to have moved him significantly since they were as he writes in his message "wonderful surprises from my native country."

Info-Flash is reproducing below the Press Release posted on the Lebanese Ministry of Information website.

 

NNA - 27/10/2011 - President Michel Sleiman awarded Professor Hagop Akiskal, who is of Lebanese origin and one of the leading psychiatrists worldwide, the Medal of Health Merit of the first (gold) degree today. Health Minister Ali Hassan Khalil awarded Akiskal the medal during the opening ceremony of the congress on "Burning Issues in Psychiatry", which is being held over two days at Beirut's Phoenicia Hotel. During this congress, world experts, including Lebanese figures of international fame, will address the issue of bipolar disorders and temperament.

Minister Khalil declared: "President Michel Sleiman wanted, on the occasion of this congress, to honour a great physician, namely Professor Hagop Akiskal, in recognition of his contribution to supporting the health sector over the course of his long career, which was rich in science, knowledge, experience and ethical practice. In recognition of Professor Hagop Akiskal's contributions for Lebanon's sake, President Michel Sleiman decided to award him the Medal of Health Merit of the first (golden) degree. It is an honour for me to award Prof. Akiskal this medal on this occasion and to offer him my heartfelt congratulations."

 

Minister Khalil said: "Throughout its long and ancient history, Lebanon was never a simple number in demographic, economic or financial terms; rather, it has always been a cultural message not only as a geographical location but also everywhere where Lebanon reached out across the world, where it spread the alphabet, founded cities and contributed to the renaissance of many societies in the region, Africa and worldwide. In health-related issues in particular, the labour market opened up to it in most countries of the Middle East, Europe, North America, Australia, etc."

 

All Our Congratulations to Professor Akiskal

 

II-  AMIC’s French member association (UMAF) donates a Mobile Dental Unit to the Lori region

 

 

 

 

 

The donated mobile unit was manufactured in Armenia

On November 11, 2011, the inauguration of the Mobile Dental Unit took place in Vanadzor.  The minister of health, Dr. Haroutiun Koushkian, the regional governor, Mr. Arthur Nalbandian and UMAF’s president Dr. Edouard Muratyan and other UMAF members attended the ceremony. 

The mobile unit has a dental armchair, a digital X-ray machine and an autoclave. The driver, the dental surgeon and the nurse are from Armenia; they will follow however the French dental rules and UMAF will pay their salaries.

The unit will serve the population of 113 communities in the Lori region, particularly the rural population, children and elderly men.

 

III-           Music for Medicine

 

The following news was received from Armenia. If you happen to be in Austria then...

On Wednesday, November 30th, The American Austrian Foundation will once again host the annual "Music for Medicine" concert and dinner benefiting the Salzburg Medical Seminars of the Open Medical Institute.  Please join us as we celebrate our first year at a special new venue -- Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center.

The Salzburg Medical Seminars is a postgraduate education program that provides physicians from countries in transition one week intensive seminars taught by faculty members from Weill Cornell Medical College and its affiliated hospitals, as well as other academic institutions, which brings them up-to-date on new methodologies and best practices in their medical specialities.  To date, over 13,000 physicians have been trained at these seminars.  More than 650 fellows and 157 observers from Armenia participated in this seminar since 1994.

The evening will begin with a concert in the Starr Theater by members of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra.  Following the concert, dinner will be served in the Morgan Stanley lobby, with a live auction conducted by Sotheby's acclaimed Jamie Niven.  Among the items up for grabs are a trip on Austrian Airlines in business class to Vienna with VIP tickets to the Ball of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, a week-long cruise on a private yacht, dinner and wine for eight prepared in your home by acclaimed Austrian chef Kurt Gutenbrunner and a number of other fantastic items. There is also a raffle with jewellery from Atelier Swarovski, coats from Habsburg, silver from Wiener Silbermanfactur, crystal from Lobmeyr and much, much more!!! 

For more information, please call 212.856.1075 or email

benefit@americanaustrianfoundation.org.  
http://aaf-online.givezooks.com/events/music-for-medicine-2011

IV-           Activities of the Fund for Armenian Relief in Armenia

 

The following Power Point presentation was sent to AMIC by Dr. Hambardzum Simonyan, the Health Projects Coordinator of the Fund for Armenian Relief in Armenia. The FAR activities are explained with pictures, maps, data and precise information. To view the presentation, please right click, then click on Presentation Object, then on Show, scroll down and at the end on End Show.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

V-What is AMIC?

 

The Armenian Medical International Committee (AMIC) was created 21 years ago. It is an umbrella organization that unites and promotes Armenian medical associations throughout the Diaspora, creating thus a large network through which information and data are exchanged.

AMIC organizes Armenian Medical Congresses. So far ten have been held in different cities of the Diaspora, the latest being the one held in New York from July 1 to July 4, 2009. In 2007, the "Second International Medical Congress of Armenia" organized by Armenia, was held in Yerevan (June 28 to June 30). The third was held from July 7 to July 9, 2011.

Since 1998 AMIC has published an online newsletter which is sent free of charge to all Armenian Health Care Professionals. If you are a health care professional and are interested in receiving Info-Flash, please send us your email address (aida@amic.ca, or amic@amic.ca). To all those who already receive the Info, please do not forget to send us your new e-mail address when you change it. Info-Flash is posted on GROONG, but with a different format, and often with less data and graphics, due to GROONG’s rules. To receive it individually in full size and content, please contact AMIC’s office (aida@amic.ca, amic@amic.ca).

 For further information, visit our website: www.amic.ca

Useful information to remember: You can send medical equipment/medicine, free of charge from wherever you are located, through the services of the United Armenian Fund: Contact: U.A.F. President Mr. Harout Sassounian (sassoun@pacbell.net)