May peace and blessings of Allah be upon you all. It brings me immense pleasure to share with you the July edition of BIMA Pulse.
Our dedicated teams have been working tirelessly on various fronts in the last few weeks, as is evident from a wide array of activities shared in this newsletter.
Alhamdulillah, the BIMA National Conference 2024 sold out 6 weeks before the event date. The overwhelming interest in tickets was far greater than we had anticipated. We can't wait to welcome over 400 delegates on 31st August at the University of Warwick. The BIMA Advocacy team has been in full swing, having organised a second successful Islamophobia workshop of the year attended by senior NHS Trust leaders. Shared in this newsletter is an extremely useful guide produced by the team on the topic of medical regulation with input from renowned medical defence organisations. Our dedicated ACE team gathered for an inspiring one-day volunteers retreat, providing a fantastic opportunity to learn, share, and build stronger connections within our team. The senior leadership team organised a separate bespoke skills day aimed at our volunteers, focusing on enhancing communication and advocacy skills, providing valuable insights, and networking opportunities. The Lifesavers team is ramping up its efforts to make this year's event the largest to date, whilst the BIMA team in Nottingham helped organise Dementia awareness clinic at the annual cultural festival.
I hope you find as much joy in reading this newsletter as we did in putting it together for you.
Dr Arshad Latif Chair of the BIMA Council
July Highlights
BIMA Lifesavers
BIMA Lifesavers celebrates its 11th year on Saturday, 28th September 2024.
Thousands have been trained in life support and choking management, focusing on deprived areas to reduce health inequalities. Join us in supporting this vital initiative by involving your local mosque, volunteering, and spreading the word.
BIMA's recent Skills Academy day in London featured a lively debate, a fireside chat with Dr. Salman Waqar, and the launch of BIMA's first health accelerator. Aimed at volunteers, the event focused on enhancing communication and advocacy skills, providing valuable insights and networking opportunities for volunteers.
ACE Team Volunteers Retreat
Our dedicated ACE team recently gathered for an inspiring one-day volunteers retreat. The event focused on upskilling our amazing volunteers and catching up on exciting upcoming events. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn, share, and build stronger connections within our team. Stay tuned for more updates and see how we’re making a difference together!
"The volunteer retreat was a great opportunity to get to know the entire ACE team and work on the skills needed to help us deliver high-quality events. I am excited to see how our events come together in the upcoming weeks!" - Saima (BIMA volunteer)
Dementia Awareness Clinic
BIMA, with the help of local consultants and GPs, conducted a well received Dementia awareness clinic offering free health checks at the Nottingham's annual cultural festival.
BIMA stall was visited by dozens throughout the day, including the general public, MPs, councillors, and community leaders. All were really pleased with the efforts of the team.
We offered screening tests for people with undiagnosed hypertension, arrhythmia, and diabetes. Experienced hcps talked about dementia and provided leaflets to inquisitive people.
We picked up 7 new cases of hypertension in our screening of nearly 100 patients in the clinic.
We spoke to many more about risk factors for Dementia, its early detection and support for those with a confirmed diagnosis of dementia.
Islamophobia Training for NHS Trusts
BIMA delivered a full day seminar on Islam and Muslims at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow on 30th July to the board of NHSGGC and NHS Lanarkshire.
The session was attended by 62 members including NHSGGC's chief executive and Medical Director, the chair of NHSGGC and NHS Lanarkshire. The Facilitators Osama Bhutta, Professor Ahmed Hankir, Dr Sahira Dar, and Dr Naomi Green spoke on the history of Muslims in Scotland, Islamic beliefs and Islamophobia.
We were encouraged by the strong audience engagement, the positive feedback received and the commitment by both trusts to do more to tackle Islamophobia and to build understanding and equity in their trust and have a welcoming and discrimination free environment for their patients and staff.
Medical Regulation Guide
How well do you understand the medical regulatory processes?
BIMA Support Clinic has produced this helpful guide for your information, which includes key messages from medical defence organisations that we spoke to. We strongly recommend that all healthcare professionals have appropriate defence cover if they are in practice.
BIMA recently held a media training session for some of its volunteers and office bearers, led by Amanda from the Centre for Media Monitoring (CfMM). The training aimed to enhance participants' media engagement skills. Participants were shown strategies to counteract negative narratives and promote positive stories, as well as how to handle media inquiries during challenging situations. The session's highlight was the mock interviews, where participants practised various interview styles and received feedback on their performances. Participants found the session enlightening and highly beneficial.
We thank Amanda and our participants for their time.
Feedback to the Professional Standard Agency
The British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA) recently provided feedback to the PSA regarding the GMC's review process, highlighting concerns about fairness in fitness to practise cases and particularly incidents of weaponised referrals. We stressed the need for transparent processes, diverse representation, and cultural sensitivity training to ensure fair treatment for Muslim healthcare professionals. BIMA is also engaged in direct conversations with the GMC about these issues.
Umrah Reflections
Two students were selected to go to Umrah with the support of the Federation of Islamic Medical Associations (FIMA), World Assembly of Muslim Youth (WAMY), and the British Islamic Medical Association (BIMA).
Bilal and Nafisa share their umrah reflections and their most beloved memories of this remarkable journey below.
BIMA has established a groundbreaking support clinic in response to challenges being faced by Muslim healthcare professionals. We are offering pastoral support, legal guidance, and a safe, confidential space through this clinic.
We are looking for Case Worker to join our growing team.
What do the experiences of minority ethnic doctors tell us about workplace inclusion in the diverse field of medicine? A team of researchers from the University of Birmingham and Aston University is investigating the experiences of minority ethnic doctors to bolster support for minority professionals.
The Fiqh of Gynaecology, Family Planning and Pregnancy
AlBalagh Academy is offering 40% discount to all BIMA paying members for the 'Fiqh of Gynaecology, family planning, and pregnancy' course. Use the code ALBALAGHXBIMA40 at checkout.
The course is aimed at Muslim healthcare professionals, students, policy makers, and women's health enthusiasts.
The course provides an opportunity to deepen the understanding of Islamic perspectives on conception, family planning, permissible contraceptive methods, preconception care, prenatal care, abortion, infertility treatments, assisted reproductive technologies (ART) & much more.
Congratulations to Kareem Mohamed - National Director for the ACE team and a member of JBIMA for completing the Iron Man challenge in support for Palestine.
So far he has raised over £11000 - let's help him reach his target, inshaAllah!
These groups are a chance to network and discuss topical issues with colleagues in your area(s) and/or region. To join, please email a request to join.
British Islamic Medical Association, International House, 101 King's Cross Road, London, London WC1X 9LP
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