French Medical Institute for Mothers and Children (FMIC)
The French Medical Institute for Mothers and Children, FMIC, operates in one of the world’s most challenging environments, characterized by a high level of insecurity and limited access to resources that organizations elsewhere take for granted. Despite those challenges FMIC has achieved remarkable success over the past 13 years. In 2009, it became the first hospital in Afghanistan to be ISO certified. In 2010, the first open heart surgery was performed by indigenous doctors at FMIC. Since 2011 it has annually sponsored an international scientific conference as well as a quality and patient safety convention, both of which showcase Afghan health professionals’ high capacity for critical thinking. Since 2012, it has conducted a postgraduate medical education programme developed in partnership with the Ministry of Public Health and the Aga Khan University. The PGME programme has now graduated 45 physician specialists and 40 are currently enrolled in three to five-year programmes in eight disciplines. Some of these programmes – such as anaesthesiology, cardiac surgery, cardiology, pathology and radiology – are not offered anywhere else in Afghanistan. Through the provision of its unique and effective telemedicine programme and a patient welfare programme, FMIC ensures that its high-quality services are accessible to patients from all of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces, regardless of physical and geographic barriers, and their ability to pay.
FMIC’s partnership model, its defining characteristic, enables its founding partners – the Governments of France and Afghanistan, the Aga Khan University (an agency of the Aga Khan Development Network) and La Chaîne de l’Espoir – to meaningfully define and contribute to its purposes and accomplishments. The guidance of the Ministry of Public Health and the contributions of the La Chaîne mission teams from France and the Aga Khan University have been immensely important to the training of Afghan physicians and nurses and the quality of care. The partnership also provides a means for others to join in efforts to develop Afghanistan’s health system. The Government of Canada, for example, has provided critical funding for the PGME programme. FMIC’s partnership also embraces its staff. The Board and management are deeply committed to creating and maintaining a culture built on respect, dignity and trust, where all staff – from caregivers to those involved in technical, administrative and support functions – are well-informed, proud of the work they are doing and empowered to contribute to the organization’s success. They have a stern belief in FMIC as a ray of hope for Afghanistan!
FMIC vision is “to be a leading institute of excellence and innovation in healthcare, research and education, providing exemplary, safe, comprehensive, accessible and sustainable services to Afghanistan and surrounding regions, while positively impacting the lives of patients and all others whom it serves”.
