Alhumdulillah, the East Rand Branch of the IMASA held a CPD meeting on 19 October 2019 at Masjidul Ansar, Lakefield, Benoni. This a new venue for us and, although they are still busy with the finishing touches to the hall, is was adequate for our purposes. Jazakallah u khairan to the Lakefield Muslim Jamat for all their assistance. As October is Mental Awareness month, we thought it appropriate to base our theme for the meeting on Mental Health. We had +-50 attendees. There was a broad representation of Medical and Allied Medical Professionals. Our attendees included; Specialist Physicians, Anaesthetists, GPs, Physiotherapists, Occupational Therapists, Psychologists, Life Coaches and Sonographers.
Our first guest speaker was Dr Nadira Khamker. She is a psychiatrist who recently completed her Phd. She is still attached to the academc circuit at Pretoria University and has a private practice in Fourways. She spoke to us about Depressive Disorders and emphasized the need to remove the stigma from mental illness.
Our second speaker was Bronwyn Hill. She is a Bio kineticist and Fitness Trainer, practicing in Brakpan. She spoke about Exercise and Depression. She highlighted the effects of exercise in alleviating depressive symptoms. Our third speaker was Muneer Nakhooda. He is a student at University of Johannesburg. He is doing his Masters research exploring the experience of Muslim clients who have been for Psychotherapy. His topic was “The lived Experience of Islam in Psychotherapy”. Our final speaker was Ragiema Thokan – Mahomed. She is a lawyer and ethics officer. She spoke to us about Gender Relations in the Workplace, especially pertaining to Muslim Health Professionals.
Overall it was a well-attended, well- presented CPD session. Most of the attendees found it useful with some important take – home messages. We would like to thank all those involved in making this meeting a success.
