Doha: The Trauma Center at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) is conducting a special Outreach Educational Programme for non-trauma practitioners on the care of patients with trauma injuries.
It aims to improve the capacity of general hospitals in outlying areas of the country to manage patients with less severe injuries.
“The idea is that hospitals that serve outlying areas of the country will be able to manage a number of trauma patients that do not need to come to Hamad General Hospital (HGH) — where the Trauma Center is based — because they have small injuries,” said Dr Rifat Latifi, Professor of Surgery and Director of Trauma Services at HMC.
The programme is part of an integrated care plan to reduce disability and death from trauma in the region.
“Every month, consultants from the centre give practical lectures at general hospitals, including Al Khor Hospital, Al Wakra Hospital and the Cuban Hospital.
“We also hold visits and discussions with medical teams the management of difficult or unknown cases,” he said.
Educational sessions cover a range of topics from safely transporting patients to managing patients with various injuries, for instance, those sustained by people involved in road accidents, falls, and workplace or sport injuries.
“It is part of the centre’s mission to lead injury prevention and outreach programmes, and as part of our outreach programme, we are working to educate medical staff who are not trauma surgeons, such as emergency medicine doctors, general practitioners, surgeons not specialised in trauma surgery and nursing staff.”
Dr Latifi said they already have weekly educational sessions for medical and nursing staff at HGH, where the award-winning Trauma Centre team headed by Dr Hassan Al Thani receives and evaluates more than 5,300 trauma and injured patients each year.
Severely injured patients are cared for by a team led by trauma surgeons and comprising physicians of various specialities, nurses, emergency medical technicians, paramedics and other healthcare providers.
He said the educational programme, which began in May, has had excellent attendance and feedback from participants and the centre hopes to expand the programme to primary healthcare centres which sometimes handle trauma cases.
Established in 2007, the centre has been recognised by World Health Organisation and Arab Health for its positive impact on the care of injured patients in the region.
The centre’s establishment has led to a significant reduction in deaths among critically ill trauma patients admitted to HGH.
The Peninsula
