Dr Khalid Al Fyafei, Senior Consultant and Programme Director of Paediatric Emergency, speaking at the conference.
DOHA: The First Annual Emergency Medicine Symposium in Qatar, organised by the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), provided a platform for around 200 healthcare professionals to share experiences, foster collaborations with academia and evaluate emerging ideas and technologies in emergency medicine.
“The symposium featured an innovative programme based on the patient’s journey through the emergency care system and is underpinned by the quality agenda and original research,” said Dr Saleem Farook, Vice Chairman for Emergency Education at HMC.
The symposium featured presentations by Dr Khalid Al Fyafei, Senior Consultant and Programme Director of Paediatric Emergency, Dr Abullatif Al Khal, Director of Medical Education, and Dr Rifat Latifi, Professor of Surgery and Director of Trauma Services at HMC, and regional and international experts in emergency medicine, including Professor Gregory Larkin, The Lion Foundation Chair of Emergency Medicine at the University of Auckland in New Zealand, Dr Abdel Noureldin, Senior Consultant and Programme Director in Emergency Medicine at Al Tawam Hospital in Abu Dhabi and Dr Rip Gangahar, Senior Consultant in Emergency Medicine at the Royal Oldham Hospital in the UK.
It included also poster and oral presentations, providing HMC staff with the opportunity to discuss their original research in the field of emergency medicine, nursing education and projects aimed at improving patient safety and patient care.
“Emergency medicine in Qatar has been developing at a rapid pace to provide emergency care to the expanding population. Along with the main Emergency Department at Hamad General Hospital, satellite emergency departments operate at Al Wakra, Al Khor and The Cuban hospitals. Additionally, 13 adult and paediatric emergency walk-in clinics are spread across the country and are fully operational and heavily utilised,” said Professor Peter Cameron, Chairman of Emergency Medicine at HMC.
Work continues to develop the quality agenda, educational programmes and research strategy specific to emergency care to align with HMC’s aim of becoming an academic health system.
The event concluded with discussion between the audience and an expert panel chaired by Dr Don Mackechnie, Director of Emergency and Acute Medicine Transformation.
The panel comprised Professor Cameron, Professor Larkin, Dr Gangahar, Dr Penny Gordon, Deputy Chief of Medical Academic and Research Affairs - Professional Development, and Alan Dobson, Assistant Executive Director of Nursing, Emergency Care.
Due to the high demand, a second symposium is being planned in early 2014.
The Peninsula
