Date of birth: May 24, 1964
Qualifications: Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Specialist
Current position: Coordinating Physician of SMURD and the Emergency Department

I've been working with SMURD:
- As a volunteer: 1990 - 1998
- As a full-time employee: since 1998
- Projects for the future: The improvement of emergency medical care level and the improvement of SMURD in the Mures County and in other regions of Romania

Dr. Raed Arafat was born in Damask but was raised in Nablus (Syria). At the age of 16 he arrived in Romania in Pitesti after a few attempts to study medicine in various foreign countries. Romania was the only country that allowed him to stay on her territory. Dr. Raed Arafat started medicine at Cluj but after a year he dropped school because of his father died. After this he moved to Mures to study intensive care. At Targu Mures not everything went smoothly but he found people who helped him from the beginning like professor Chiorean, who has the same speciality as dr. Raed Arafat. Also interested in helping develop the emergency services was the fire department chief, many doctors, assistants, and youth who have volunteered and worked beside him. Probably it's easy to see now but his was a continuous fight that had to take to arrive where is today.

Between 1990 and 1998 he and his whole staff had to work as volunteers, because the only material help came from the fire fighters and medics from Scotland which included equipment, medicine and supplies. Dr. Read Arafat had to live from the money that he inherited from his father and his colleagues worked in other places where they received payment and on their spare "dime" they volunteered at SMURD. The strongest support was received from Hajdu Gabor - ministry of Sanitation and for a short amount of time from Maiorescu ministry, who affirmed that SMURD is a model for Romania's ambulance system. This happened at the beginning of 90's but also this status was the only thing that saved SMURD from not being devoured by the Mures county "good willing people". Strong support came from Professor Chiorean, Micu Colonel from the fire fighters, Doctor Stoenescu from the Ministry, Ileana Filipescu Deputy, Senator Nicolaescu and Senator Frunda Gyorgy.

Though these important persons were helping SMURD and Dr. Raed Arafat, between 1990 and 1996 the SMURD destiny hung by a thin piece of string. This happened by the "help" of Mures County Department of Health. Probably the competition was the real problem that confronted the county and not a good quality ambulance system so, everything was done to stop the existence of SMURD. They were not able to succeed in squelching SMURD because of a groundswell of community support. The community understood the need (by experiencing the benefits of better standards) of this best practice Emergency system-and thus they supported Dr. Raed Arafat. The people who helped dr. Raed Arafat in this critical times were Nagy Gyozo, former mayor of Targu Mures, who personally helped the construction an a Emergency Hospital. After 1996 the Director of the Department of Health from Mures County was changed and the coming director, Ileana Panduru, gave to SMURD the support it deserves.

Dr. Raed Arafat's dream was and is the improvement of emergency medical care level in Romania and the spread of SMURD best practices to other regions of Romania.

We tip our hat to Dr. Arafat and all those who have helped him improve the quality of life in Romania.