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, launched its inaugural Trauma Week to raise awareness amongst its staff and the public on how to avoid injuries and equip bystanders on techniques to help while waiting for emergency responders.
Inaugurated by Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed, Chairman of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), SSMC’s Trauma Week was launched with an executive briefing on trauma care in Abu Dhabi, and attended by representatives from key organisations involved in trauma responses, such as the Abu Dhabi Police, the UAE Armed Forces, the Abu Dhabi Trauma Systems Committee, and the SSMC leadership, amongst others. Following the meeting, the committee, alongside an esteemed delegation, toured the hospital’s Trauma Week events, which exhibit the latest in operational tools and resources that assist trauma response.
Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed, Chairman of the DoH, said, “Despite the global pandemic and with the valuable support of the UAE’s wise leadership and their directives, Abu Dhabi’s healthcare sector continues to advance and develop, implementing new and innovative strategies to become one of the best healthcare systems in the world. One of the most important systems this includes is the effective response to trauma.
Trauma care is not a service that can be provided in isolation – the responsibility of rapidly responding to a situation and ensuring members of the public receive the care they require in the appropriate timeframe falls on all of us. It is increasingly important that the authorities, first responders, and healthcare facilities work together seamlessly to ensure the process of responding to a dire situation, transferring the patient, and treating the patient is as concise and efficient as possible.
“SSMC’s Trauma Week serves that purpose – this observance is one of many examples that exemplify the culture of collaboration and strength in capabilities amongst the numerous response and healthcare organisations, acting as one robust unit. This very collaboration is a key factor in Abu Dhabi’s recognition as the leading city globally in its response to the pandemic by the Deep Knowledge Group.
During the tour, Abdullah and the delegation observed the teachings of the “Stop the Bleed” course, an internationally recognised course that educates members of the community on how to effectively control bleeding following an injury.
In addition to awareness and educational activities for SSMC’s staff and community members, Abu Dhabi Police exhibited the latest technologies and resources utilised to limit and respond to car crashes. In a study completed by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, road traffic is reporting to be the leading cause of death amongst injury deaths, with car crashes causing 65.1 percent of road traffic accidents. At SSMC’s emergency department, falls and car crashes, particularly those not involving a seat belt, are the cause of 70 percent of trauma admissions.
Dr. Naser Ammash, Chief Executive Officer, SSMC, said, “With trauma being among the most common causes of death in Abu Dhabi and the UAE, SSMC Trauma Week is a great opportunity that focuses on providing injury prevention, training and education to our hospital visitors, staff, and the community. It is an important milestone for the future of trauma care in Abu Dhabi and the UAE.
“Our trauma programme, in partnership with the UAE Military Service Corps and the US Department of Defence, accelerates SSMC’s journey towards achieving verification as a Level 1 Trauma Centre by the American College of Surgeons through the Trauma Burn Rehabilitation Medicine mission.”
SSMC is an integral part of the joint, multinational Trauma, Burn and Rehabilitative Medicine (TBRM) programme in the UAE, along with the UAE Armed Forces and US Military. As SSMC continues its journey pioneering healthcare in the UAE, solidifying its status as a world-renowned trauma centre, and strives towards achieving accreditation as a Level 1 Trauma Centre, the facility will continue working alongside SEHA and Mayo Clinic, and the UAE’s authorities and first responders, to ensure the provision of prompt and best-in-class healthcare to all those in emergencies in the UAE and the wider region.
Source: WAM 
