Key Points
- More than 300 guests attended the event.
- Forty-two health professionals received the awards.
- The AAMA surprised the community with Assyrian doctors and academics in Australia.
The Assyrian Australian Medical Association recently held an awards presentation ceremony for health workers.
The event was attended by more than 300 guests from various Assyrian organisations, parties, and prominent people and took place at the Eden Gardens function hall in Bonnyrigg in Sydney.
The ceremony allowed the AAMA to recognise and appreciate the hard work and dedication of health workers in the Assyrian community including doctors, professors, chemists, nurses, chiropractors, and physiotherapists.
The association's president, Dr Mariam Joseph, welcomed the guests and discussed the role of health professionals in ensuring the community's well-being.
Over 40 awards of recognition were presented, including:
Chemistry
Professor Georgius A. Adam, Dr Ronald Shimmon, Sargon Gorjian, Suzan Shimmon
Psychology Associate Professor Shameran Slewa-Younan
Pharmacy
Diana Younan
Dentistry Dr Benjamin Daoud, Dr Maria Youhanan, Dr Sabah Aziz, Dr Inaam Jajoo, Dr Nabil Matti, Polos Khamo
Pathology
William Shuggie, Fuad Teppo
Nursing
Alena Rasho-Lazar , Sammi Sayad
Medical Dr Ibrahim Hanna , Dr John Atto, Dr Neil Shaba, Dr Albert Yousif, Dr David Youkhanis, Dr Toma Mikhael, Dr Aiad Alsaad, Dr Sahar werdi, Dr Nasreen Shammas, Dr Faris werdi, Dr Fedil Metti, Dr Catherina Audish, Dr Sanaa Barich, Dr Antwan Barich, Dr Ramzi Barnouti, Dr Sameer Yousif, Dr Sargon K. Khamis, Dr Toma Hormez, the late Dr Abd-Elmasih Nawaia ,the late Dr Hicham Batou
"The awards presentation ceremony was a much-needed celebration of their efforts. It provided an opportunity for the health workers to be recognised and appreciated for the significant contributions they have made to the community," Dr Joseph said.
Coming to Australia and trying to get my PhD was a marathon of life that I ran and finished successfully.Professor Ronald Shimmon
Dr Joseph and the association's secretary, Dr Daniel Sada, contributed significantly to the event's success.
Dr Joseph praised the role that young Assyrian medical and health students can play in the future and to continue the AAMA's mission.
Dr Sada said, "These events are essential for recognising the contributions of health workers and providing them with the support and appreciation they deserve."
During the break, SBS Assyrian met a few award recipients and asked them about their award.
Associate Professor Shamiran Younan
Dr Shamiran is a respected scholar known for researching the mental health literacy of refugees and cross-cultural populations. She has published over 80 peer-reviewed articles and received over 15 research grants as lead investigator. Dr Shamiran has appeared on news and radio shows discussing the mental health outcomes of Iraqi refugees in Australia. She was awarded the 'significant contribution prize' by the Australian Psychological Society in 2017 for her teaching, research, and clinical expertise.
Source: AAMA
Professor Ronald Shimmon
He received a PhD from the University of Technology Sydney in 2005 for research on Bipyridyl Endiyne and transition complexes as anti-tumor and anti-malarial agents. He has expertise in designing and synthesising functional molecules and characterising impurities in illicit drugs. Professor Shimmon has published over 40 papers and has three patents in fingermark and illicit drug detection. He was awarded a UTS Vice-Chancellor’s award in Career & Professional Development in 2012 for his high performance in research.
Source: AAMA
Sammi Sayad
Sammi Sayad, born in Sulaymaniyah, Iraq, worked as a nurse at K3, Iraqi Petroleum Company. After the six-day war in 1967, she moved to Kuwait and then Australia in 1971. She has worked at various hospitals, including the Royal Women's Hospital, and retired in 2009 after working at FFH's Operating Theatre. As a translator, Ms Sayad still assists non-English-speaking Assyrian community members with medical issues.
Source: AAMA
In conclusion, the awards presentation ceremony held by the Assyrian Australian Medical Association was a testament to the hard work and dedication of health workers in the Assyrian community.
The event provided a much-needed opportunity to celebrate and appreciate their contributions during the pandemic. It was heartening to see the community come together to recognise the critical role of health workers in caring for those in need.
You can listen to the comments, interviews and highlights of the event in this podcast.
