1.
GV TILT DOWN FROM Statue to Duke of Harar Memorial Hospital in Addis Ababa.
0.06

2.
GV Delegates arriving.
0.11

3.
GV AND SVs INT. Delegates taking seats. (3 shots)
0.29

4.
SV Dr. Jamal Abdulkadir speaking.
0.42

5.
GV Audience applauding.
0.48

6.
SV Dr. Taye Mekuria speaking, with delegates listening and applauding. (4 shots)
1.05



Initials VS 18.06 VS 18.14



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: Five hundred delegates attended the opening session of the Ethiopian Medical Association's tenth annual conference in the Duke of Harar Memorial Hospital, Addis Ababa, on Friday (31 May). The conference was officially opened by the Ethiopian Minister of Health, Dr. Jamal Abdulkadir, who said the Government would co-operate in launching a new specialist training programme. He added, however, that there still should be adequate incentives to make general practice a rewarding and satisfying career.

Delegates were welcomed by the President of the Association, Dr. Tays Mekuria, who said medical services in the developed world were advancing at a rate that the nations of Africa could never match. To support his view, Dr. Tave pointed out that some Western nations had a doctor-patient ratio of one to seven hundred. The World Health Organisation recommended a ratio of one to 10,000 in West African countries. However, in Ethiopia, the ratio was one to 80,000 - thus the work load on doctors was enormcus and the service, in consequence, suffered.

Dr. Taye recommended that the training and standard of the entire Ethiopian health service should be raised and widened. Professional associations should be encouraged and strengthened and the Ministry of Health should give high priority to research and data compilation.