Doha, 15 November 2011: Hamad Medical Corporation's Orthopedic Surgery Department recently held Qatar's first Plaster Care and Casting Course, which aims to promote best practice outcomes for patient care by providing educational and practical training that will enable healthcare providers to provide optimal orthopedic care to trauma patients.

The Orthopedics course focuses on improving the skills of the practitioner in safely applying an appropriate cast or splint in the management of musculoskeletal disorders, injury or immobilization due to other medical conditions. The course was conducted at the Intercontinental Hotel and drew many participants from local health centers, including doctors, nurses, plaster technicians and paramedics.

Dr. Mohammed Al Ateeq Al Dosari, Head of Orthopedic Surgery under whose guidance the course was organized, said, "More than 100 healthcare professionals attended the course and they were all impressed by the course, which added a lot to their knowledge. We intend to organize this course on a regular basis in the future and invite healthcare professionals from neighboring countries as a part of our continuous medical education program."

The course featured guest speakers from Germany and Saudi Arabia as well as speakers from the in-house faculty, and included presentations on splinting and casting techniques, safety in the cast room, preparation of the patient for casting, walking aids and attachments, plaster techniques, and updates on new cast technology.

The highlight of the event was the two practical sessions where all the participants were given the opportunity to work hands-on with casting techniques for the upper limb as well as plaster techniques for the lower limb.

Orthopedic care skills are required for all trauma care professionals to provide optimal care and treatment for musculoskeletal injuries, or injuries to the bone, muscles, tendons, ligaments and other connective tissue, suffered by trauma patients.

Trauma patients are those who have suffered body wounds or shock produced by sudden physical injury, such as those incurred from violence or accidents. The most common cases of trauma in Qatar consist of road traffic accidents and falls, which occur mostly at construction and other worksites.

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About HMC:
Hamad Medical Corporation is the premier non-profit healthcare provider in Qatar.  It was established by Emiri decree in 1979 and manages seven specialized hospitals, namely, Hamad General Hospital, Rumailah Hospital, Women's Hospital, Al Amal Hospital, Al Khor Hospital, Heart Hospital and Al Wakra 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 about HMC please visit www.hmc.org.qa.

For more information about this article, please contact:
Marketing, Media and Public Relations Department
Hamad Medical Corporation
Tel. No.: +974 4439 5272
Fax No.: +974 4439 5002

© Press Release 2011