Central Point Physician Reviews Work of Hamadan Ho
spital
Iran Is a nation in the Middle East about a quarter
of the size of United States. It is a nation whose back
ground goes back to the first written history.
But it has been in relatively recent times that
change has started to come to Iran, and other Middle
Eastern countries. The change has been slow; it has met
opposition.
Some of the change taking place in Iran has been
observed during the past few months by the Dr. Alvin
Roberts family of Central Point. He and his family have
actually contributed to this change, and have indicated
that more dramatic changes may be forthcoming.
Look Forward To Advance
Dr. Roberts recently wrote:
"We are looking forward to a great advance in this
land under the program that the Shah has been initiat
ing this winter. It has been very interesting to be in a land
which is in such a state of expectancy and hope.
"The land reform making it possible for the first
time in centuries for the man who tills the land to buy
it and own it has been a great encouragement to the
people. The promise of educational opportunities for
both boys and girls is met with enthusiasm by the young.
The new freedom for women will utimately set right
some of the social evils which have been a weight about
the neck of the -Middle East."
The Dr. Roberts family is in Hamadan, Iran, where
he is serving on the staff of an American Mission hos
pital. The family tentatively plans to leave Hamadan
early in June after spending almost a year there.
Mlwlon Th.r. 100 Yean
The American Mission has been in Iran for about
100 years, first with schools and churches amid consid
erable unorganized resistence and persecution, Dr.
Roberts wrote. As acceptance came, hospitals were
opened, of which there were eventually six. Four of
them remain today.
Hamadan hospital has a long and honorable history
of both service and leadership in ihe medical service of
the area. It has pioneered new developments in med
icine in the Hamadan area. "Even yet," Dr. Roberts
wrote, "we are the only ones competent to use blood
transfusions. This is certainly not true in Tehran; but it
has been very slow for advances to move outside the
capital."
Dr. Roberts continued: "There 'has been and is con
tinuing contact with those who practice in the town,
and we feel that this is one of the great opportunities to
point the way in methods and ethics which will in the
future give the people of Hamadan and western Iran a
permanent and ever-improving medical service."
Religious Work Reviewed
The work of the hospital is In two parts.
The religious work is carried on by members of the
Evangelical Church of Hamadan with cooperation of the
American Missionaries. There are five formal meetings
each week, and an evangelist works full-time in the
wards and waiting rooms of the clinics. Many of the
patients, Dr. Roberts said, are interested and request
literature and more information.
The second part of the work is the medical program,
which includes well-attended general clinics from which
the in-patients are sifted.
Few of the 5fi beds in Ihe hospital are occupied by
"medical problems." Most of them are surgical patients;
medical patients usually insist on being treated at home
or on an ambulatory basis.
Chromic Bon Diseases Seen
"Chronic bone diseases seem lo be epidemic out
here," Dr. Roberts said. "It is a rare clinic day that we
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Dr. Roberts with an Islam Priest in a great sheepskin coat.
do not see one to five previously undiagnosed cases of
tuberculosis. Intestinal parasites art near universal, and
their complications frequent.
"Some things are conspicuous by their absence.
Coronary heart disease is very rarely seen here and be
cause of the generally shorter life-spin, cancer la much
less often encountered, although it is not rare. Since we
are 'the end of the line' for many seeking help, we see
a wide range of 'once-ln-a-Iifetime' rarities, In both
anomalies and diseases," he wrote.
The obstetrical service Is an odd one since most
babies are born at home with the help of a mid-wife. An
occasional normal delivery of some important person or
foreigner is left to the hospital.
St Complicated Opm
"Mostly we see the ones that are complicated. About
half of them are ceasarlan section which often must be
undertaken in the most unfavorable circumstances and
without some of the things we had coma to consider
necessities," he said.
The hospital also provides a mobile clinic which
ministers to the needs of villagers in the remote areas.
This is carried out by Dr. Homer Rice and Lawrence
Roberts, Dr. Roberts' son, who drives and aids with dis
pensing medicines.
"This." Dr. Roberts noted', "has been the means of
saving lives this winter, epsecially benefitting the small
children, who, so often, are neglected until it is too late."
The Hamadan hospital was built In 1952, replacing
an older one which had been in service since the turn
of the century. It Is a modern, fireproof, earthquake re
sistant, and attractive building.
1W hospital Is located within a compound with
three residences for the American personnel, which new
consists of two doctors end one nurse.
A beautiful little chapel it used tor English-speaking
religious services for those In the vicinity whe apeak or
understand English. The entire compound, Dr. Roberts)
wrote, "is beautiful now with the leafing and flowering
of the many plants and trees."
The hospital is staffed with 40 Iranians, many of
whom have had a number of years of service. They are
well-trained and responsible. As In the states, Dr. Rob
erts notes, It is the shortage of nurses which Is the most
acute problem.
"There are jusl a half dozen of ihem. (I don't help
this situation much because one of two multi-lingual
nurses is always close-by to Interpret for me.) These peo
ple do remarkably well even with less formal training
than we are accustomed to expect In the States," Dr.
Roberts said.
Palltnti From Wide Area
Patients are from a wide area, as far as 100 miles or
more. They are of various ethnic groups. Dr. Roberta
writes:
"We see a lot of Turkish speaking village people.
From the northwest, we see Kurds in considerable num
bers. They show up in their characteristic tribal dress, a
dark-colored turban-like head dress and In the cold
weather, many layers of warm clothing. There also are
Assyrians, Jews, Armenians, and of course, most of the
townspeople arc Persians.
"Each of these groups has preserved its own lang
uage and some of Its cultural characteristics. This pro
vides an ever-changing spectrum of experience.''
Lawrence Roberts in front of the mobile clinic.
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This residence is occupied by the Or. Robert family.
The front gate to the hospital in Hamadan.