The Message from Past President

The Message from Past President


Dear Colleagues,

I am very honoured and pleased to welcome all colleagues, in particular all Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (PRM) colleagues from the Mediterranean basin

In 1996 Prof. Haim Ring organised the first PRM Mediterranean Congress, in Herzliya, under the slogan "Rehabilitation without frontiers"aiming to promote PRM worldwide and the quality of life of the disabled, namely in the Mediterranean area. Since then, colleagues from all over the world participated in this unique project that allows an exchange of knowledge and develops friendship among all, regardless the culture, race or religion.

The Mediterranean Congresses is a success case study, with colleagues coming from all the continents and an increase both in participation and in the scientific standard.

In the first congress we aimed to create a Mediterranean PRM Society, and in Athens, during the 3rd Congress, in 2000, we founded the Mediterranean Forum of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine – MFPRM - with the mission (vide statues):

  • To be the scientific Mediterranean body for physicians around or with close vicinity with the Mediterranean Sea, in the fields of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine.
  • To facilitate Mediterranean exchange regarding different aspects of Rehabilitation research...
  • To organise a biennial Mediterranean congress of PRM...
  • To influence national governments (...) to support initiatives and co-operation in the field of teaching development of services and research in PRM...

I have a dream.

The MFPRM is a unique and ever growing PRM Society where more than 500 colleagues, from 25 countries, acting in a volunteer basis to achieve our scientific, cultural and humanitarian mission: to develop and harmonize PRM in the Mediterranean Countries and to contribute for a better and peaceful Mediterranean region “without frontiers”. 
We have an “Action Plan” and we are deeply and emotionally involved in the MFPRM:

  • Our Mediterranean PRM Congress is held biennially, the 10th in Sorrento - Italy, 2012, and the 11th in Alexandria - Egypt, 2013.
  • The “European Journal of PRM is our official journal.
  •  The Euro-Mediterranean PRM School (EMPRMS), every year in Syracuse (Italy) under the leadership of Dr. Franco Cirillo and the sponsorship of the Italian Society PRM (SIMFER) is a free course for about 40 PRM trainees or young specialists.
  • Our Turkish colleagues create this website -www.mfprm.org. We are committed to update and transforming it in an open space for communication, cooperation and scientific rehearsal among colleagues of all the regions of the world, in particular from the Mediterranean area.

Visit this website and join us, becoming a MFPRM member.

Jorge Lains, MD
Past President of th MFPRM