The health institution in Africa (Al-Dimna as a model) From the second to the fourth century AH The eighth to the tenth century AD

Abstract

Al-Dimna is the oldest health institution that appeared in (Africa) that took upon itself the responsibility of treating people with infectious diseases prevalent at the time and providing them with the necessary services‚ Its work was carefully organized, similar to the work of health institutions (quarantine) at the present time, where the infected are isolated in places prepared for this purpose, to avoid mixing them with the healthy and thus preventing the transmission of the infection to them, It was supervised and monitored by custodians whose mission was to watch over its order and the comfort of its residents, and to monitor those who visited it from abroad, as well as supervising and inspecting patients and prescribing appropriate treatment for them.  Dimna was a shelter for the blind, the elderly, the poor, the servants, the ascetics, and the needy, It was like a home for them to live in and take refuge in,It included all the necessary facilities needed by the patient or the resident, and it had a self-contained device that was sufficient at that time to achieve the desired goal , Many parties have contributed to the attention of the (Al-Dimna) institution, took care of it, allocated their time and effort to it, and took care of all the care and attention needed by its residents, such as spending on it and providing them with the necessary life necessities,  Dimna was the object of the care and care of the princes who were customarily assigned to visit it during the days of the seasons and legal holidays, and they singled out those in it for alms and giving, Dimna was also the center of attention of notable scholars, scholars and the general public as well, for they used to send their alms to its people during the seasons and holidays and provide them with the clothes and food they needed, The interest in Al-Dimna, taking care of it and taking care of its inhabitants was not limited to princes, notables and the common people only, but the doctors participated in that ((body jurists)) , During the research period, a group of scholars, jurists and military men appeared who took some medicine with what they had undertaken from experience and took it with the inherited tradition, They were present in the ranks of the Islamic army, treating the sick and wounded fighters in the fields of conquests and wars.