Conducted by Harvard Medical School - Dubai Center in Association with Ludwig Maximillian University

Dubai, 5 September 2006: The Harvard Medical School - Dubai Center (HMSDC) Institute for Postgraduate Education and Research in partnership with Ludwig Maximillian University Munich Medical International (LMU-MMI) have recently conducted the first Adult Basic Life Support (BLS) course at Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC).

Professor Frank Christ, MD, Head of Cardiac Anesthesiology at LMU and Dr. Florian Demetz, MD, consultant Anesthesiologist at LMU, conducted the BLS workshop, teaching basic skills needed to save a life in case of cardiac arrest. The combination of theory and hands-on skills training involved rescue breathing and chest compression. The use of Automated External Defibrillators, which are increasingly accessible to the public, was also introduced.

Robert L. Thurer, MD, Chief Academic Officer, HMSDC said: "Fourteen healthcare providers from DHCC met their requirements for BLS training by successfully completing this course.  The participants especially enjoyed the use of computer based training in addition to the hands on experience."

Upon successful completion of a test at the end of the session, participants were awarded the Basic Life Support Provider Certificate, a requirement for licensing renewal for all healthcare professionals at Dubai Healthcare City.

The BLS course will be offered throughout the year at DHCC. In November, a course on Advanced Cardiac Life Support will also be introduced.

Dr Christ and Dr Demetz are currently assisting HMSDC in establishing the Harvard Simulation Center to be located in Dubai Healthcare City, for training, teaching and quality management. The Center will place particular emphasis on prompt rational decision making, communication and interpersonal skills. The scenarios will be highly realistic and challenging for all levels of health care professionals.

LMU has a long standing tradition of quality management in emergency medicine and trauma care. MMI, presently running a high-tech Human Simulation Center at the University Hospital Munich, was established as a subsidiary corporation of LMU to respond to the national demand for excellence in health care, clinical services, medical education and research projects.

"HMSDC is fortunate to have recruited LMU-MMI as a partner in the state-of-the-art medical simulation center.  Their experience as well as their interest in Dubai and the UAE is essential to the successful development of our center" added Thurer.  

Experts from Harvard, MIT and leading international centers including Imperial College London and the University of Maintz in Germany are also involved in the planning of the Harvard Simulation Center.

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© Press Release 2006