Medical students volunteer at Jeddah heritage festival

Layan Damanhouri Saudi Gazette JEDDAH — Medical students are participating this year at the Kunna Kida (We were like this) heritage festival to spread health awareness and treat emergency cases. The volunteer doctors have set up a couple of clinics at the festival venue. It is not a typical awareness campaign with handing out pamphlets and brochures, said Dr. Hamza Khoja, who leads the campaign. “We want to talk to people in their own language and tell them about the most widely spread diseases,” he said. “We focus mainly on diabetes, which a most prevalent condition in Saudi Arabia, especially because complications from diabetes increase during Ramadan,” Khoja said. Bashayer Hasan, a medical student at King Abdulaziz University volunteering in the drive, said, “We are a group of medical students doing a campaign from the Ministry of Health with Dr. Nizar Bahabri and Dr. Hatem Turkustani. We have a booth and a clinic.” She added, “Everyday during Ramadan we run awareness campaigns about diabetes and diseases. We inform people about misconceptions they have about diabetes and other diseases like hypertension and how to treat them.” The emergency clinic at Souk Aljumaa and at the Balad festival location is run by over 100 volunteers throughout the month. It is the first time medical students are participating in the festival. Dr. Abdulaziz Altameemi said, “We are trying to cover all emergency cases that are happening around this event. These include cases of hyperglycemia, hypoglycemia, high or low blood sugar, fainting, cut wounds, eye infection and burns from kitchens at restaurants and food stands in this market.” He added, “We didn’t face any difficulties or complications dealing with patients. We are also trying to focus on spreading awareness and guide people with the most important types of screenings.”