This year, we ventured out to Manchester. We opted for the prestigious Etihad Stadium on a Saturday in July, trusting that it would be a sunny weekend. In true British style, the rain did not hold back. Still, our day was anything but gloomy. Over 400 friends of BIMA, old and new, united under one roof to join us for our annual conference. This year’s topic? Unity in Community, and how we can #WinAsOne.

Before we get into revisiting this spectacular day, let’s begin with the importance of this conference, and why we host this every year.

Here at BIMA, we aim to bring together healthcare professionals, researchers, and students from various disciplines. In delivering events like this one, our community is able to connect and be inspired by one another. 

The conference this year proved to be a resounding success, fostering a platform for knowledge exchange, unity, and innovation within the Muslim medical community.

A Celebration of Unity

In the spirit of unity, our attendees were encouraged to build bridges across diverse backgrounds and specialities. The event facilitated networking opportunities and engaging discussions, breaking barriers and enabling participants to discover shared aspirations and challenges in the medical field. 

At the core of the BIMA Conference was the emphasis on the Islamic ethical framework in healthcare. Participants engaged in discussions about the importance of compassion, integrity, and empathy in patient care, grounding medical practice within a humanistic approach. This ethical foundation not only aligns with Islamic teachings but also resonates with universal values that are integral to creating a compassionate healthcare system.

As we welcomed and registered our guests, we caught up over tea and a delicious breakfast, followed by an introduction to the event and a beautiful Qur’an recitation by brother Yusuf Maududi. Is there any better way to start a conference?

Professional Sports, Faith & Dedication

After an uplifting welcome from Dr. Salman Waqar (BIMA President), reminding us of the importance of unity and how we can inspire one another, we were ready for our first Keynote of the day. We were joined by Zainab Alema (Rugby Player for Richmond Women, a mother of 3 and a former neonatal nurse) and Shoaib Amaan (Consultant in Sport & Exercise Medicine and a Premier Football Club Doctor). Rimla Akhtar OBE (Founder of the Global Muslim Women in Sport Network) chaired this talk, and explored the careers of both Zainab and Shoaib. Hearing about their challenges as British Muslims in health was stimulating. They shared much about their journey, providing valuable advice for our guests.

Inclusive Educational Sessions

For the rest of the day, we hosted four sessions, each including four breakout rooms for our guests to choose from. They could select from: Academic/Professional, Clinical, Wellness/Spiritual or Personal Development. Each subject within each session consisted of inspiring Muslim guest speakers, all of who belonged to different areas of the healthcare profession, but each united with our shared mission of exploring the healthcare space for Muslim professionals and winning as one.

Discrimination in Healthcare – when is change going to come?

Between sessions (and refreshments!), we regrouped for after enjoying lunch for our second Keynote of the day. Sue Coe (NMC EDI Lead), Tista Chakravarty-Gannon (GMC Head of Operations, Outreach England) and Dr. Maliha Momo (F1 Doctor ULHT) engaged in an informative and thought-provoking discussion on discrimination in healthcare, chaired by Dr. Sameer Ahmed. 

Mindsets of success

For our third and final keynote, Dr. Hafsah Qureshi chaired insightful conversations with Mr. Mohammed Belal (Surgeon)  and Salma Yasmeen (Sheffield Hospital Appointed CEO). Dr. Belal explored how his faith helped him overcome his trauma after becoming recently paralysed, and Salma spoke of her personal life experiences which explored how her journey helped pave the way to CEO.

Empowering the next generation

We closed with reflections from our Dr. Muhammad Wajid Akhter (Council Member of BIMA) and closing remarks from Dr. Qasim Malik, Bismah Ali and Dr. Safwaan Hafez (BIMA Executive Directors/Senior Leadership Team).

We also had the opportunity to host our poster awards, presented by former BIMA president, Mr. Sharif Al Ghazal.

It was a pleasure to host you all. Whether you joined us in person or online, we hope you benefited from the conference. The atmosphere was thriving with a united community who all attended to celebrate British Muslims in healthcare.

Thank you to our amazing sponsors, Algbra, Islamic Relief UK and the GMC. We’d also like to express gratitude to our inspiring guest speakers, and our wonderful attendees.

We look forward to hosting you next year, insha’Allah.

Warwick…here we come! #BIMANC24

Words by Adam Iqbal