FIMA Year Book 2009 - Federation of Islamic Medical Associations

Muslim Contributionsof hospitals were physicians. Manymodern hospitals have been developedon the same model as hospitals inIslamic era i.e. separate wards for maleand female patients, special apparel forin- patients, nursing staff and porters,qualified and licensed physicians topractice medicine, teaching facilitiesfor educating medical students, outpatientand inpatient departments,housing for students and house-staffand pharmacies dispensing drugsto patients. Hospitals kept recordsof patients and were equipped withconference rooms and librariescontaining the most up-to-date books.Holistic approach towards healingwas evident by the fact that in TulunHospital ( founded in Cairo in 873 CE)each patient on discharge received fivegold pieces to support himself untilhe could return to work (an exampleof holistic approach to patient care,considering not only the medicalcauses but the social, psychological andspiritual aspects as well).The libraries were well stocked withreference materials. The library of theTulun hospital had 100,000 books,Mustansiriyya University in Baghdadcontained 80,000 volumes; the libraryof Cordova had 600,000 volumes;Cairo had 2,000,000 and that of Tripoli3,000,000 books).State of the art hospital concept wasalso evident. The al-Adudi hospitalof Baghdad (built in 981 C.E.) wasfurnished with the best equipmentand supplies known at the time. It hadinterns, residents, and 24 consultantsattending its professional activities.The professional activities were notconfined to hospitals; an Abbasidminister, Ali bin Isa, requested thecourt physician, Sinan bin Thabit, toorganize regular visiting of prisons bymedical officers.The hospitals were of two types - thefixed and the mobile. The mobilehospitals were transported uponbeasts of burden and were erectedfrom time to time as required. Similarmoving hospitals accompanied thearmies in the field. The field hospitalswere well equipped with medications,instruments, tents and a staff of doctors,nurses, and orderlies. The travelingclinics served the profoundly disabled,the disadvantaged and those in remoteareas. These hospitals were also used byprisoners, and by the general public,particularly in times of epidemics.Famous Muslim Physicians andSurgeonsSome of the great scholars of earlyIslamic era, who contributed not only tomedicine but several other disciplines,are as follows:Al-Razi (Rhazes born 865 C.E.) wrotethe first medical description of smallpoxand measles. He described the clinicaldifference between the two diseasesso vividly that nothing since has beenadded. His practical implementationof “infection” knowledge is reflectedfrom the incident when he was askedto choose a site for a new hospital inBaghdad. He hung fresh pieces of meatFIMA YearBook 2009103