The Palestinian International Cooperation Agency (Pica) Expands Its Development Programs To Include New Countries In Asia
In collaboration with World Orthopedic Concern, the Ministry of Health, Syndicate of Doctors and the Palestinian private sector, PICA will implement a number of development programs in the medical field in some Asian countries, including Uzbekistan, as well as in a number of other countries falling under the umbrella of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.
PICA will have specific programs in the field of Orthopedic surgery, particularly in vitro glass surgery and orthodontics. This comes with the introduction of new medical techniques by the head of PICA program for the transfer of specialized knowledge in the field of orthopedic surgery, Dr. Alaa Azmi, and his team.
These new techniques received the attention of international organizations and countries specialized in the field of Orthopedic with increasing demand to implement this qualitative and leading program in a number of countries, including Asia.
PICA, represented by the head of its program for the transfer of knowledge in the field of orthopedic surgery, Dr. Alaa Azmi, participated in various international medical conferences in India, Morocco, Egypt and Uzbekistan. Dr. Azmi introduced the new medical techniques and agreed with a number of ministries of health in different countries to start the implementation of medical programs, the last of which was with the Ministry of Health in Uzbekistan, where the Embassy of the State of Palestine in Tashkent organized meetings with officials from the Ministry of Health in the presence of children’s services officials, and the deputy ambassador in Tashkent, Ahmed Abdul Rahim. During these meetings, the Uzbek side expressed its interest in orthopedic surgery program.
Moreover, PICA agreed with officials from the Uzbek Ministry of Health on a cooperation program to be implemented soon, including cooperation in the field of scientific research, especially following the publishing of Palestinian medical researches in a number of important international research journals, which presented the new Palestinian medical techniques.
Imad Al-Zuhairi, PICA Director General, considered South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) which includes Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, India, the Maldives and Bhutan, as an important association to cooperate with.
Al-Zuhairi reaffirmed PICA interest to enhance cooperation with SAARC in order to implement development programs and contribute through the Palestinian human resources and expertise to support their efforts in the implementation of national plans. Such programs, particularly those that reflect humanitarian dimensions as represented in medical programs and others related to food security such as agricultural programs, have a constructive impact on the development process. This in turn creates a supportive environment for the efforts to realizing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people and gathers more support towards the question of Palestine.
Al-Zuhairi added that PICA, under the instructions of H.E President Mahmoud Abbas, has harnessed its capabilities in cooperation with its local, regional and international partners to implement development programs and activities, aiming at mobilizing further international solidarity with Palestine and enhancing its position on the international map. Human resources and Palestinian know-how skills are main sources to strengthen Palestine’s contribution in the efforts of the international community, especially those related to the implementation of International Development Agenda 2030.
It is worth mentioning that PICA has led medical, agricultural and relief programs in a number of Asian countries, including Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, and its experts have carried out specialized exploratory missions in a number of countries, including the Maldives, to agree on joint cooperation frameworks.
Furthermore, PICA completed an agricultural development mission several weeks ago to the Republic of Bangladesh, which will be followed by the implementation of a number of agricultural activities and programs in agreement with the relevant authorities in Bangladesh and in other Asian countries.