Helina Blogs

Fire Flames Beautifully Illuminating the Evening Sky of Akre I told my family that I just have to be in Akre for March 20th. "What is so special with Akre?," you might be asking. Akre is the only town in Kurdistan that, in my opinion, portrays the rituals of Nawruz at its best. The first thing I asked my family was to please target Akre for Nawruz-eve. I was too happy to see them agree accompanying me to the bonfire there. It is rather a challenge for a young lady to attend places like Akre all alone in Kurdistan. In my mind I had the game all planned but I dared not to disclose anything with my family fearing their refusal to accompany me or refusal to attend the rituals Every year, thousands of Kurds and non-Kurds go to Akre to watch the fire flames beautifully illuminating the evening sky of the town. Hundreds of the town’s young adults carry fire touches and begin climbing 354 steps to the top of the highest mountain in Akre, known as Kale. My Nawruz Jewel from Akre...

"Doctors are just so mean and arrogant," I continue hearing.  I somehow have to agree with this assertion considering that every physician-patient experience I have encountered has been nothing but a disaster.  I understand that not everyone is a cupcake or rainbow. I also understand that doctors work under loads of pressure but I feel doctors fail to grasp a good understanding of their role.  The ultimate role of a doctor is to heal and healing demands loads of patience and empathy.  I once over-heard my friend, who is also a medical doctor, utter that doctors should face the various stages of every disease before continuing to becoming a doctor .  I knew what he meant. He meant nothing but empathy!  To practice empathy, you have to build an understanding of what the patient is going through.  I remember as a pharmacy student, I was required to live the life of a diabetic, hypertensive and hyperlipidemic patient, where I had to inject...

A picture taken from Australian Diabetes Association Week. After three weeks of work at the Diabetes Center in Duhok, I felt the need to share some of the experiences I have had with my fellow readers especially with those who are clinicians treating chronic ailments or with those who are patients getting treated in an ambulatory care setting. This experience that I am about to write about is one of its type that I can imagine myself come across to here in Kurdistan. This experience is about my interaction with patients in Kurdistan. First of all, I thought to myself that before I start my practice here in Kurdistan, I have to do the following; I have to keep myself up to date, I have to remember the ethics of how to interact with patients. I have to remember patient consultations and tools that will enhance patient compliance, which may include anything from the use of a pill-box, alarm, chart, calendar and a log book to the involving all family members in the management of the...