More than 4,000 motor vehicle crashes causing more than 600 major injuries resulting in over 200 deaths take place in Qatar every year, latest figures show.
“Road traffic injuries (RTIs) cause one out of every eight deaths (12.5%) and are the leading killer in Qatar, causing more deaths than cancer or cardiovascular disease,” Hamad General Hospital’s Trauma, Vascular and General Surgery head and senior consultant Dr Hassan al-Thani has said.
He mentioned that intervening through a multi-pronged approach, including primary prevention, post-injury care and rehabilitation, form the Hamad Trauma Centre’s mandate and are key to reducing the burden of RTIs in Qatar.
Dr al-Thani, along with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) managing director Hanan al-Kuwari, participated in a panel discussion at the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) hosted here by Qatar Foundation recently.
The discussion at WISH centered on best practice in trauma prevention and treatment.
In 2007, HMC established a Trauma Centre at Hamad General Hospital as the country’s only trauma centre.
The centre is one of the leading facilities for the care of injured patients in the Middle East and was recently recognised by the World Health Organisation and the Arab Health Awards.
The centre evaluates more than 5,000 patients each year and its establishment has resulted in a 50% reduction in deaths among patients admitted to the hospital with serious traumatic injuries.
In 2011, HMC’s Ambulance Service, which is assisting the trauma centre, received accreditation from the Joint Commission International (JCI).
With this achievement, the Ambulance Service, formerly known as Emergency Medical Services, became the first in the region, and the first national ambulance service, to be accredited by the JCI.
The centre and the Ambulance Service are key components of Qatar’s trauma system, providing essential post-injury response to victims of road trauma.
“Trauma is a complex disease and there is no simple solution. However, it is a predictable and preventable disease,” Dr al-Thani said adding: “Qatar has the vision, the leadership and the financial capacity to be a role model for injury prevention and road safety. We should all take personal responsibility to prevent road traffic injuries.”
http://www.gulf-times.com/qatar/178/details/375416/over-4%2c000-road-crashes-occur-in-qatar-every-year
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