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World Health Organization Recognizes HGH Trauma Service as an International Success Story

Doha, 22 May 2011: The World Health Organization (WHO) has recognized the Trauma Service at Hamad General Hospital (HGH) - a member of Hamad Medical Corporation ( HMC ) - as an international success story in improving care for the injured. In a report entitled "Strengthening Care for the Injured: Success Stories and Lessons Learned from Around the World," the WHO featured HGH's achievement in initiating a new, formalized trauma service in Qatar.

"It is one of the first countries outside the United States to have a complete trauma system. This means we do not only have acute care, but we have prehospital care, acute trauma care, critical care service, rehabilitation, injury prevention program, and a trauma registry," said Dr Ahmad Zarour, Consultant Trauma/Critical Care Surgeon and Director of Trauma Intensive Care at HGH.

The WHO report cited trauma as a major cause of death and disability in Qatar, with the country having one of the highest road traffic death rates in the region at 19 deaths per 100,000 population. Falls, which occur mostly at construction and other worksites, are cited as the second most common cause of death and permanent impairment.

According to the report, the demographics for trauma patients in Qatar are unique compared to the United States, Australia or Europe, with the population of trauma patients about 94 percent male and six percent female, rather than a balanced mix. This is attributed partly to culture and partly to the booming economy and construction happening throughout the Gulf area.

HMC established the Trauma Service at HGH, the main hospital caring for the injured in Qatar, in November 2007 as part of a range of actions being instituted throughout the country in order to address the increasing numbers of severely injured people. The Trauma Service is a specific, dedicated multidisciplinary service designed to optimize outcome for the injured patient.

"The Trauma Service brings together a team of professionals with interest and expertise in trauma care, ensuring that injured patients are provided with high quality care based on international standards," said Dr Zarour. The Trauma Service acts as an advocate for the patient, working to ensure that no findings are overlooked in the process of identifying injuries and prioritizing patient management.

"Congratulations and thanks go to Qatar and HMC leadership at all levels, the trauma surgeons, critical care doctors, nurses, and support staff of the Trauma Surgery Section for their dedication to improving care for the injured and towards making Qatar a leader worldwide in trauma care," said Dr Zarour.

The HGH trauma registry shows that in 2010, the Trauma Service has treated and discharged an average of 2,300 patients. "The success of this service is reflected in the decreasing mortality and morbidity in trauma patients. Services are being provided in a timely fashion, in line with our goal to provide 'the right care at the right time, to the right person'," Dr Zarour explained.

"Through proper coordination and communication by trauma services, we were also able to reduce the length of hospital stay from an average of 12 days to an average of six days for the trauma patient," said Dr Zarour. He added that critical patients needing surgery now have a waiting time of less than one hour.

The WHO report aims to share information about programs across the globe which proved beneficial in improving trauma care, focusing on practical, affordable and sustainable efforts. It identifies useful methods and strategies that could be adapted for use in other places, and includes case studies from prehospital care, acute hospital care, and rehabilitation both in the healthcare setting and in the community.

"Injury is a leading cause of death and disability worldwide. Trauma care (care of injured people) is an important component of the response to the injury problem. A significant proportion of the deaths and disabilities caused by injuries could be eliminated by improvements in trauma care, but there is often a sense that such improvements are too difficult, complicated or expensive to institute widely, especially in low- and middle-income countries," according to the WHO report. "However, considerable progress has been made in many places, often with very limited resources and under very difficult circumstances." The publication aims to highlight local success stories and dispel the view that little can be done to improve trauma care globally. It also seeks to foster greater collaboration and exchange of ideas among those working in the field of trauma services.

Contributors to the Qatar case study were Dr Zarour, Dr Abdulwahab Al Musleh, who initially directed the trauma surgery section, and Dr Kimball Maull, who was the former director of the trauma service. The service is currently headed by Dr Hassan Al Thani.

Dr Zarour added that the HMC Board of Directors in November 2008 has endorsed the concept of "Trauma Center of Excellence" to be developed according to American College of Surgeons criteria. "We are working to obtain accreditation from the American College of Surgeons, which would mean international recognition for HGH as one of the first level one trauma centers outside the United States."

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About HMC :
Hamad Medical Corporation is the premier non-profit healthcare provider in Doha, Qatar. It was established by Emiri decree in 1979 and manages five highly specialized hospitals, namely, Hamad General Hospital, Rumailah Hospital, Women's Hospital, Al Amal Hospital and Al Khor Hospital. Since its establishment, HMC has rapidly developed medical facilities capable of providing state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment of diseases that previously could only be managed in overseas medical centers.

HMC prides itself in providing quality and cost efficient healthcare for all patients regardless of nationality, in line with the State of Qatar's pledge of "Health for All". For this purpose, the Corporation implements a policy of continuous improvement of all management systems and patient care protocols. HMC 's ethos is based on three key pillars which are Health, Education and Research.

For more information, please contact:
Marketing, Media and Public Relations Department
Hamad Medical Corporation
Tel. No.: +974 4439 5272
Fax No.: +974 4439 5002
www.hmc.org.qa

© Press Release 2011