SSMC kicks off week-long event alongside partners Abu Dhabi Police and UAE Armed Forces to raise awareness and improve education of injury prevention and lifesaving first aid techniques
Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC), one of the UAE’s largest hospitals for serious and complex care and a joint-venture partnership between Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) and Mayo Clinic, has launched the second edition of Trauma Week, a week-long event which will raise awareness of injury prevention and hone the latest medical breakthroughs in first response emergency and trauma care. The event, which is being hosted at SSMC in Abu Dhabi, will take place from Nov. 14 to Nov. 17 in partnership with Abu Dhabi Public Health Center of the Department of Health, Abu Dhabi Police and the UAE Armed Forces.
Inaugurated by H.E. Dr. Jamal Mohammed Al Kaabi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), SSMC’s Trauma Week also welcomed senior delegates from key organizations, such as Abu Dhabi Police, the UAE Armed Forces, the Abu Dhabi Trauma Systems Committee, Abu Dhabi Civil Defense and the UAE Medical Service Corps (MSC). Following the opening, H.E. Abdulla Bin Mohammed Al Hamed and H.E Dr. Jamal Mohammed Al Kaabi took part in a tour of the hospital’s Trauma Week booths, led by SSMC leadership. The tour showcased cutting-edge technology and equipment used in trauma care.
His Excellency Dr. Jamal Mohammed Al Kaabi, Undersecretary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DOH), said: “Through our ongoing efforts, and under its wise leadership, DoH continues to enhance the quality and efficiency of the Abu Dhabi’s healthcare sector, ensuring that it provides the best healthcare services to the members of its society. These efforts include strengthening our collaboration with local and international partners and ensuring that the Emirate’s healthcare facilities acquire the latest technologies and innovative solutions, in order to improve outcomes and boost community awareness. This contributes in our endeavors to position Abu Dhabi as a pioneering global healthcare destination.”
Dr. Naser Ammash, Chief Executive Officer, SSMC, said: “With the successful return of the SSMC Trauma Week, we will use this opportunity to truly focus on raising awareness around injury prevention and early treatment through providing training and education to the wider community. As the major Trauma Centre in Abu Dhabi, we are continuously working alongside other local health care facilities to coordinate our efforts and improve outcomes for these unfortunate trauma and burn victims.
“Our team of trauma and burn experts working alongside our colleagues from the UAE Military Service Corps and US Department of Defense are ready to provide the optimal care for these patients in collaboration with other needed specialties in a most integrated model of care. By working alongside our partners at the Department of Health, SSMC will be best positioned to become the first American College of Surgeons-verified level-1 trauma center and ensure critical peacetime and wartime capabilities to provide the most trusted quality care for critically injured patients.”
Throughout Trauma Week at SSMC, members of the public will have the opportunity to visit twelve booths to learn about various topics and programs. Attendees will be able to participate in the ‘Stop the Bleed’ training, an internationally accredited module, which empowers members of the community to effectively respond and control bleeding following an injury, and bystander CPR training.
Visitors can also take part in many of the educational programs led by the Abu Dhabi Public Health Center of the DOH around child safety, elderly injury prevention, and road safety. Additionally, the Civil Defense and Abu Dhabi Police station will provide education around injury prevention, such as preventing fatal bleeding injuries, dealing with common injuries in children of all ages, burn prevention and first aid.
Abu Dhabi Central Blood Bank, will also be raising awareness about the vital role of blood donations in emergency and trauma care, and hosting a blood donation drive at the hospital from Nov. 15 to Nov. 16 between 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Dr. Marcelo Ribeiro, Consultant and Chair – Division of Trauma, Burns, Surgical Critical Care, and Acute Care Surgery at SSMC, stated: “It has been incredibly enlightening to work alongside all our partners, including the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Civil Defense and the UAE Military Service Corps, as we kick off Trauma Week here at SSMC. We are delighted to return this year with a larger exhibition and program, featuring 12 booths on display at this edition – almost double that of last year’s – and to welcome a greater participation from the public and industry. Through active collaboration and participation in trauma care, we are better placed to serve the needs of the community locally and regionally as Abu Dhabi’s appointed Trauma Center.”
SSMC is an integral part of the joint, multinational Trauma, Burn and Rehabilitative Medicine (TBRM) program in the United Arab Emirates, along with the UAE Armed Forces and US Military.
Dr. Ahmad Al Sayari, Consultant in General and Trauma Surgery and Trauma Medical Director at SSMC, concluded: “With SSMC being the dedicated Trauma center for Abu Dhabi, we have action plans to enhance our department facilities to remodel the Emergency Department. As a result, we are currently admitting around 300 injured patients each month and are progressing well on our journey to achieving accreditation as a Level 1 Trauma Center by the American College of Surgeons through the TBRM mission. We are confident that we will accelerate this mission by working alongside our parent organizations – SEHA and Mayo Clinic – and the UAE’s authorities and first responders, to establish SSMC as a comprehensive regional resource for injuries and ensure the provision of prompt, quality health care to all those in emergency situations in the UAE
About Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC)
Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC) is a joint venture between Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), the UAE’s largest health care network, and Mayo Clinic, a non-profit global leader in medical care, education and research headquartered in the United States of America. Established in 2019, SSMC is the largest tertiary hospital in the UAE and serves to elevate the provision of health care services in the nation under the mandate of the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030.
Supported by the latest diagnostic and treatment modalities available, SSMC offers care in 24 specialties. A team of locally and internationally trained physicians and allied health staff work seamlessly together, which promotes comprehensive interdisciplinary learning, allowing SSMC to become a leading hub for integrated patient-centric medical services in the region.
As the region’s leading tertiary facility, SSMC has 742 patient beds, 18 operating theatres and includes a hybrid operating room, 26 neonatal intensive care units and the UAE’s largest pathology lab.
About SEHA
The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC–SEHA – is an independent, public joint stock company created to develop the curative activities of the public healthcare system in Abu Dhabi. The company owns and operates all the public hospitals and clinics of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.
SEHA is part of ADQ, one of the region’s largest holding companies with a broad portfolio of major enterprises spanning key sectors of Abu Dhabi’s diversified economy.
SEHA is committed to continuous improvement of customer care to recognized international standards and providing the community with world-class healthcare. SEHA operates 13 hospitals with 3,385 beds, 70 ambulatory care, family care, and urgent care centers and 2 blood banks. Its facilities accommodate 117,162 inpatients annually and conduct 43,262 surgeries, as well as treating more than five million outpatients. SEHA is one of the largest integrated healthcare providers in the Middle East with more than 18,000 doctors, nurses, ancillary care, and administrative personnel. Learn more at www.seha.ae.
About Mayo Clinic
Mayo Clinic is a nonprofit organization committed to innovation in clinical practice, education and research, and providing compassion, expertise and answers to everyone who needs healing. Visit the Mayo Clinic News Network for additional Mayo Clinic news and Mayo Clinic Facts for more information about Mayo.
