Experts gather in Abu Dhabi to advance trauma care and injury prevention in the UAE
Abu Dhabi, UAE – 19 May 2025: Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC), a subsidiary of the PureHealth Group and one of the UAE’s largest and most advanced hospitals for serious and complex trauma care, has today officially welcomed delegates and attendees to the 4th Annual Trauma and Injury Prevention Week –an event which it is hosting and will run from 19–22 May.
Trauma remains one of the leading causes of death in the UAE,1 with road traffic accidents being a significant contributor.2 In the UAE, statistical data indicates a significant instance of trauma, with an average of one trauma-related hospital admission every three hours and a total of 10 trauma-related deaths per week.
In response, SSMC, which admits over 330 trauma-injury patients every month, continues to play a crucial role in providing compassionate, coordinated, multispeciality trauma care for patients across the UAE.
Centred on the theme “Teamwork & Transformation,” the 4th Annual Trauma and Injury Prevention Week brings together key UAE stakeholders in trauma and emergency response, including the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, Abu Dhabi Police, the UAE Civil Defence Authorities and the UAE Armed Forces, as well as the Integrated Transport Centre, Abu Dhabi’s Early Childhood Development Authority (ECA), the Central Blood Bank, and The Center of Emergency Preparedness and Response (CEPAR). New partners for this year include the SAKINA Programme, Salma Rehabilitation Centre, and Abu Dhabi Organ Donation Centre.
Today’s event commenced with a special four-hour symposium will be dedicated to the full spectrum of trauma and injury prevention – from pre-hospital care to rehabilitation. This initiative underscores SSMC’s long-term commitment to transforming trauma care delivery, fostering inter-agency collaboration, and investing in critical infrastructure to address care gaps and improve patient outcomes.
Commenting on the upcoming event, Dr. Marwan Al Kaabi, Chief Executive Officer of SSMC, stated: “Our annual Trauma and Injury Prevention Week not only reinforces SSMC’s role as a national centre of excellence in trauma and burn care, it also serves as a vital platform for collective action within the medical and related public services community. Together with our partners, we are dedicated to reducing trauma-related deaths and disabilities, strengthening community awareness, and providing integrated, world-class care from the moment of injury through to recovery.”
This year’s event features an extensive exhibition of 15 booths, with hands-on training in CPR and bleeding control (‘Stop the Bleed’), as well as awareness sessions on motorcycle safety, childhood injury prevention, and domestic violence. Visitors are also encouraged to participate in a community blood drive and explore new booth additions from the Salma Rehabilitation Centre and other strategic partners.
As a designated Centre of Excellence for Burn Treatments by the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, SSMC continues to advance trauma care standards. Events like Trauma and Injury Prevention Week serve as key milestones in strengthening Abu Dhabi’s global standing in trauma and emergency medicine.
