By Fazeena Saleem

DOHA: Most recent clinical developments in emergency medicine and public health are being discussed at a conference opened yesterday by Minister of Public Health and Supreme Council of Health Secretary-General H E Abdullah bin Khalid Al Qahtani.

The International Conference in Emergency Medicine and Public Health-Qatar (ICEP-Q 2016) under the theme ‘Together we move forward’ aims to learn and share experiences to improve quality in the areas of emergency medicine and public health.

“The conference is important as it discusses issues affecting public health and emergency medicine.

“The role played by public health in preventing diseases and the emergency department as the first point of contact in case of an emergency are vital. The collaboration of both will help provide more quality services” said Al Qahtani.

Qatar is keen to provide distinguished healthcare services to the public through its health centres he said adding that the national health strategy focuses on prevention of diseases and improving the health of individuals.

Last year the Emergency Department at Hamad General Hospital saw about one million cases including 45000 paediatric emergencies.

Dr Sheikh Hassan bin Ali Al Thani Head Trauma and Vascular Surgery Sections Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) said to meet the high requirements the department is set for an expansion and expects the primary health care centres to treat minor cases.

“The expansion is coming in number of phases primary health centres are picking up minor emergency cases to reduce the pressure on the department” he said.

“The department is expanding in terms of capacity there is a three-storey building coming up this will take some two years but work has begun” said Dr Al Thani. He said the satellite services provided by some primary health centres and the single workers hospital are also expected to take some burden from the department.

The major achievements in public health sector in Qatar include the prevention of communicable diseases without an outbreak an advance immunisation system reduction in road accidents and their severity and steps taken to reduce lifestyle diseases said Dr Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani Director Public Health Supreme Council of Health (SCH).

“In implementing the national health strategy we have achieved 77 percent in preventive health and hope to increase it to 90 percent this year.

“The mortality rate due to road accidents reduced to 8.2 per 100000 people in 2014 the severity of accidents has reduced by 18.3 percent and fatal accidents by 10 percent” he added.

The mortality rate due to road accidents was recorded at 26 for every 100000 people in 2006. It is the first-of-its-kind forum in the GCC organised by HMC and the SCH.

It has brought together around 1300 experts in emergency medicine public health and ambulance service at Qatar National Convention Centre.

Sessions are dedicated to infectious diseases disaster preparedness pre-hospital emergencies injury prevention medical toxicology critical care in the emergency department emergency education nursing and other topics. Pre-conference workshops were held for two days.

An exhibition on public health and emergency medicine services in the country is being held on sidelines.

The conference ends tomorrow.

The Peninsula