Naguib Mahfouz - Midaq Alley (Chapter 27) #3 lyrics

2. “Swiftly and urgently, the doctor answered him…” (Mahfouz 210). Dr. Bushi is not an actual doctor. That is to say he has not gone to school in order to become a doctor. Nevertheless, in Midaq Alley, he practices dentistry. Such practices are common in poorer countries, where medical professionals are not abundant. Mahfouz includes the title of doctor in order to create an accurate depiction of many parts of the world. Many people entrust their lives to doctors that have little or no schooling in their practice. The attached link explains the shortage of health care professionals in the Middle East. Although it refers mostly to nurses, the same could be said of all medical professionals. http://www.usask.ca/sph/documents/WRTC%20Info/Seminars/Marwa