Specialist field of orthopaedics put under the scope by international experts at Abu Dhabi hospital

Abu Dhabi, 12th May 2013: The latest advances in upper limb surgery will be under the scope at a series of forthcoming healthcare conferences to take place at Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC). Commencing on May 17 with a lecture programme on wrist surgery developments, the seminars will feature internationally renowned experts from the highly specialised fields of hand, wrist, shoulder and elbow biomechanics discussing the recent trends in surgical procedures relating to the upper limb.  

The 1st SEHA Upper Limb Surgery Update Programme is being held in conjunction with the Wrightington Upper Limb Unit in the UK, a specialist referral centre that receives patients from across Europe for expert opinion and the treatment of difficult to manage problems. The outstanding level of care offered at the Wrightington earned the unit Surgical Team of the Year accolade in 2004 from the UK's Royal College of Surgeons. The programme is being organised by SKMC, which is owned and operated by the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC (SEHA), the body responsible for the curative activities of all the public hospitals and clinics in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

"Upper limb surgery is a highly specialised area of orthopaedics, so we are delighted to be able to host a dedicated programme of seminars and discussions that will examine the latest developments in this field," said Dr. Ali Alsuwaidi  Head & Consultant, Division of Orthopedic Surgery. "SKMC prides itself on being at the forefront of medical education in the UAE and we welcome our international speakers to the first update that takes place on May 17, including five consultants and the Head of Department from the Wrightington Upper Limb Unit," he/she added.

The conference objectives are to provide attending surgeons and other health care professionals with an in-depth overview of technical aspects and finer orthopaedic surgical points, in order to refine surgeons' techniques. Among other topics, the course will compare various surgical and non-surgical treatment protocols for upper limb pathologies, evaluate common fractures and dislocations of the upper limb, interpret X-rays and MRI scans and assess the current treatment of sprains, strains and soft tissue problems.

Each day-long lecture programme at SKMC will take place in the hospital's auditorium, with the first in the schedule dealing with surgical interventions and treatments relating to the wrist. Among the presentations lined up for this inaugural update are Wrist Anatomy and Biomechanics, Radiology Review, Carpal Instability and Patterns of Arthritis in the Wrist. Another two updates will follow in September and December of this year, focusing on the shoulder and elbow respectively. The three days each carry Continuous Medical Education (CME) credits, so health care professionals attending can use the sessions towards fulfilling their periodical mandatory re-registration requirements.

"The 1st SEHA Upper Limb Surgery Update Programme is bringing together international experts in upper limb surgery from the UK, Germany, Egypt and Saudi Arabia, as well as featuring SKMC's own team of orthopaedic specialists," said Dr. Mohamad Louay Jabban Consultant, Division of Orthopedic Surgery"It is the ideal forum to share best practice and will provide those attending with the most up-to-date knowledge of upper limb treatments, something that in turn will benefit patients in the UAE requiring such specialised interventions," he/she added.     

About SKMC managed by Cleveland Clinic
Sheikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) is located in Abu Dhabi City, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, and operates under the management of Cleveland Clinic, consistently named by U.S. News and World Report as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey. SKMC, is owned by SEHA, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, recently established to oversee operations of all public hospitals in the Emirate. SKMC is the flagship institution for the public health system in Abu Dhabi and has several 'Centers of Excellence', and aspires to practice contemporary medicine comparable to the best hospitals and medical centers in the world. SKMC provides comprehensive healthcare services in all of the disciplines relevant to the needs and priorities of the community to attain the highest levels of patient satisfaction.

SKMC, the largest hospital and medical city in the UAE, consists of 568-bed Tertiary Hospital, 14 outpatient specialty clinics and Abu Dhabi Blood Bank, all of which are accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI). SKMC is also accredited as a Cycle III Chest Pain Center with Primary Angioplasty Intervention. In addition, SKMC manages a 125-bed Behavioral Sciences Pavilion, and 2 Urgent Care Centers distributed over the city of Abu Dhabi. For further information, please contact us at marketing@skmc.gov.ae or visit www.skmc.ae. 

About the SEHA HealthSystem and the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC (SEHA)
SEHA is health in Arabic.  The Abu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC- whose marketing identity is SEHA - is an independent, public joint stock company created to develop the curative activities of the public healthcare system in Abu Dhabi. The company owns and operates all the public hospitals and clinics of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi which together make up the SEHA HealthSystem.  SEHA is committed to providing high quality, cost effective healthcare in a socially responsible way on par with international standards measured through accessibility, affordability, choice and satisfaction.  SEHA has partnered with internationally recognized hospital managers to achieve these goals.  These include Johns Hopkins Medicine International, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, VAMED, Vienna Medical University and Bumrungrad International.  SEHA owns and operates 12 hospitals with 2,644 beds, 62 ambulatory care, family care and urgent care centers and 2 blood banks.  SEHA is one of the largest integrated healthcare providers in the Middle East with 16,500 doctors, nurses, ancillary care and administrative personnel in its employ.  Visit our website at www.seha.ae.

For further information contact:
Salama Al Mazrouei,
Corporate Marketing Communication Manager
02-410-2317
smazrouei@seha.ae

Mohamed Lari
Mob.:0508172999
Email: marketing@skmc.gov.ae

© Press Release 2013