CDOT Newsletter #2 (May 2005)

May 1st, 2005

Dear Supporters of CDOT,

Almost 4 months have passed by since Madeleine and I returned from our visit in Egypt. You probably know the feeling when there is a high degree of activity and you are afraid that this productive phase might not last very long. This is pretty much how I felt when we left Cairo early this year. But I was wrong, obviously did not count enough on the enormous energy you are would be showing. I am so impressed with what is happening in Cairo and Alexandria in regard to occupational therapy and like to congratulate everybody involved. Keep the good work going!

Please,send your next news by July 15th at my usual email address.
Email: chmentrup@aol.com


Christiane Mentrup
2nd Vice President
World Federation of Occupational Therapists (WFOT)


CDOT Members
RequestsVery regularly colleagues around the world ask about employment or fieldwork opportunities in Egypt. Some of them have been alerted by the WFOT publications of the project.

The WFOT secretariat passes all these mails on to me. If there is a job or fieldwork opening in one of the institutions in Egypt, please, let me know about it.

One of the colleagues interested in a professional stay in Egypt for July and August is Penny Isbister, an occupational therapist from New Zealand. If you can offer an opportunity for Penny, you contact her under:
Penny Isbister
E: nagano3@hotmail.com

Visit from Australia
In mid-June this year Sue Hartshorne, OT lecturer from the School of Health Sciences at University of South Australia is planning a semi-private trip to Egypt. She would be interested in meeting CDOT members and talking to them about the graduate entry program at her university. Anybody interested can contact Sue Hartshorne at the following address: Occupational Therapy Department
School of Health Sciences
University of South Australia
T: +61 – 83 02 2487
E: sue.hartshorne@unisa.edu.au


Abbassiya Hospital
Professor Moneim Ashour reports that since the beginning of this year his psycho-geriatric ward for 160 elderly ladies at Abbassiya Hospital is going through some major changes. In the past the patients never had any activities to follow up on. Earlier this year Professor Ashour was able to raise money for daily activities from the Rotary Club Cairo and Maha Helali from a friend who prefers to stay anonymous to buy 25 chairs for activities on the ward.
During the visit the WFOT representatives coached the staff on the ward on applying activities and provided some materials. Madeleine Corstens-Mignot performed music, dance and arts activities with the clients which were very well received by patients and staff. With the Rotary support a kitchen and a garden were set up. Ever since the ladies on ward 18 are growing vegetables, fruit, herbs and flowers and produce some small snacks and cakes in the brand new kitchen.

Every day the ladies are going on short walks in the area, are performing gymnastics and dancing in the group. In addition arts and crafts activities are being offered.

According to Professor Ashour these new activities are happening every day between 10 and 12 am six days a week and the quality of life on the ward has increased substantially. No new personell has been assigned to these tasks but everything is being provided for by the dedicated nusing staff and social workers with the support of the physicans.
Professor Ashour notes that it was a touching scene when he observed a 64 year old demented patient sitting for hours in the back yard, guarding her flowers and waiting for the plants to grow.

Congratulations on this great success to Professor Ashour and his team!Professor Ashour and Christiane Mentrup are preparing an application to have an occupational therapist for a three month fieldwork stay at Abbassiya Hospital to support the work there.

ADVANCE & LRC
Conference in CairoThe ADVANCE and the LRC together run their 5th annual conference in March titled “Embracing Diversity” to inform parents, teachers, specialists and administrators about issues related to special needs children. The workshops and lectures were received very well by the audience.

Congratulations to Maha, Beth and their team!

Students
Starting in June 2 OT students studying with Christiane Mentrup in Germany will perform a five week fieldwork experience at the ADVANCE Centre for autistic children in Cairo.

New staff
Through the CDOT newsletter Angelika Roschka, an occupational therapist from Germany, became aware of the need for an OT at the LRC. In September 2005 she will start working at the center and is looking forward to actively support the overall project. Ms. Roschka has finished her bachelor’s degree in Holland, did some work in Nepal and Germany, mainly in the area of pediatrics.

Ain Shams University
Workshop on Occupational Therapy
The Ain Shams University Institute of Postgraduate Childhood Studies invited Laura Efinger, the American occupational therapist working for ADVANCE, to present a workshop on February 12, 2005. Accompanied by Maha Helali, Laura gave a presentation on "What is OT?". She spoke about the definition, gave examples of classes in school, degrees available and all the fields where an OT could be placed (children, geriatrics,mental health and rehab in general). She also explained about OT being mainlyconcerned with the daily functioning of each individual according to theirabilities and needs to reach independence at the utmost level. Another focus was on OT assessment and treatment in pediatrics. Her lecture was informative and precise and very well received by the audience at the university.

At the end Laura, calmly and professionally, answered questions. There was a lot of concern about the overlap between OT & PT,however Laura managed to explain clearly that the overlap was to the benefit ofthe therapy receiver, and that it should not establish a conflict if the roles within an organisation or hospital are clearly defined. A big thank you to Laura for investing her personal time and being such an excellent ambassador for the profession.

OT Curriculum
A first draft of a curriculum has been developed by a group of experts at Ain Shams University. The WFOT Coordinator of the Education and Research Programme provided some initial feedback on it.

Visit in Europe
Dr Ahmed El-Kahky and Dr Ghada El Dorry are planning a visit in Europe in order to see OT educational programmes this spring.

Alexandria University
OT Programme Planning
Dr Tarek Shafshak from Alexandria University reported that after a meeting with some professors of Rehabilitation Medicine in the Faculty of Medicine of different Egyptian Universities, the conclusion was reached thatthe specialty of occupational therapy is needed in Egypt. It will be the goal to establish acollege or a high institute for OT in a number of Egyptian universities. Occupational therapy will be part of rehabilitation medicine at the respective faculties of medicine. The officials at Alexandria University are welcoming the conclusion and are expecting to develop an OT department within the next future. We may hear good news in a year.

Cairo University
Staff members of the Department for Physical Therapy at the Cairo University two meetings with experts from different professional fields in order to set up a curriculum for an occupational therapy programme. Their discussions were based on the WFOT Minimum Standards for the Education of Occupational Therapists. They developed a mission statement, programme objectives, short and long term goals. The initial curriculum draft was sent to Anne Carswell from the WFOT Programme for Education and Research who provided some initial feedback.
The expert group is still in the process to decide if they want to open the post-graduate course for PTs only or integrate medical doctors, as well.

6th of October University
Plans are underway to establish an occupational therapy education programme (bachelor level) at the College of Applied Science at the 6th of October University. Sue Hartshorne will provide a consultation during her visit in Cairo. Motivation at the university is high and we expect to hear more, very soon.

Israel Occupational Therapy Association (IOTA)
Translated Documents The OT Association in Israel was so kind to translate another WFOT document in the Arabic language. You will soon find the “WFOT Guidelines for Approval of Educational Programmes”.
A big “Thank you” to all colleagues involved in Israel!

WHO
At a WHO Meeting on “Disability and Rehabilitation” in Geneva in April 2005 Christiane Mentrup had the honor to meet Dr R. Srinivasa Murthy, a WHO Medical Officer for Mental Health and Substance Abuse at the Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean. Dr Murthy sees the need for occupational therapy in Egypt and other countries in the region and fully supports the project to establish OT practice and education. Dr Murthy recommends to set up a conference for the health ministers in the region to encourage the integration of occupational therapy within their respective health care systems. Unfortunately, WHO is in no position to fund such a meeting. Dr Murthy is asking to receive the data on occupational therapy practice and education of countries in the region.

Dr. Srinivasa Murthy
Medical Officer – Mental health Substance Abuse
Abdul Rezzak-AlSanhouri St.
P.O. Box 7606 Nasr City
Cairo 11371
Egypt
Email: murthys@emro.who.int


WFOT
The World Federation of Occupational Therapists will have their next Mangement Team Meeting in Riga / Latvia in June 2005. It will include a short professional conference for colleagues in the region.