By Noimot Olayiwola/Staff Reporter

The importance of observing safety precautions to avoid premature deaths and permanent disabilities was stressed at a seminar in Doha yesterday in the backdrop of startling data released on its sidelines showing that the Hamad Medical Corporation received up to 6,000 trauma cases every year.
Experts in trauma care and services in Qatar and the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region are attending the symposium.
“Every year, the Hamad Medical Corporation’s Trauma Centre receives up to 6,000 cases involving trauma injuries while some 2,000 - representing one-third - usually require admission and around 15% undergoing trauma surgery,” HMC Trauma, Vascular and General Surgery head Dr Hassan al-Thani said at a press conference yesterday.
The press conference was held on the sidelines of a one-day first ‘Qatar Surgical Society Symposium and the third ‘Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) Conference for Middle East and North Africa.
The conference, which was attended by stakeholders in the field of trauma surgery, addressed issue related to trauma in order to raise awareness about how significant the impact of trauma is on societies.
Also, the aims of the Qatar Surgical Society which was formed last year for all surgeons including Qataris and expatriates, were to bring all expertise in trauma under one common umbrella and to provide platform for discussions on improving trauma services.
Other officials present at the press conference were HMC Trauma Services director and Surgery professor Dr Rifat Latifi, Saudi Arabia National Guard Health Affairs Trauma Courses Officer director Dr Saud Abdulaziz al-Turki, ATLS Mena chairman Professor Subash Gautam, HMC Trauma Critical Care director Dr Ahmad M Zarour and American University of Beirut Medical Centre’s Surgery Department professor chairman Dr Jamal J Hoballah.
Dr Hassan al-Thani also mentioned that up to 4,000 trauma cases involving broken bones are also being seen at the orthopaedic section of the centre every year.
“Many of these patients end up with long time or permanent disabilities due to the injuries sustained during the trauma incident and for every single death, there could be up to three cases of injuries that can lead to disabilities,” Dr Hassan al-Thani explained.
Echoing similar views, Dr Latifi maintained that trauma, which has remained the number one killer, is preventable if necessary precautions are observed.
“Nobody should die or get injured due to trauma because it is highly preventable, especially road traffic accidents. Injuries and fatalities can be prevented from occurring if everybody takes precautions and do the needful,” he stated.
The official also stated that the Trauma Centre has been creating relationships with many international and regional organisations in order to raise awareness of safety among the public, especially the youth.
Dr Hassan al-Thani mentioned plans by the Qatar Surgical Society to become a chapter of the American College of Surgeons (ACS), which is dedicated to improving the care of the surgical patient and to safeguarding standards of care in an optimal and ethical practice environment.
“We are seeking to become a chapter of the ACS in order to be able to apply international best practice standards to our services here in Qatar and we hope to file an application to the ACS through the Saudi chapter soon,” he said.
Dr al-Turki, who is also a Vascular surgeon, said that the Saudi Society of Surgeons established since 13 years ago has become a chapter of ACS and is assisting other countries in the region in providing similar courses on offer at the college.
“The process of opening a Qatari chapter of ACS, which already has around 62 chapters worldwide, is ongoing and we will be presenting the application to ACS during an upcoming meeting in March,” he said.
Proffesor Gautam, Dr Zarour and Dr Hoballah also spoke at the event stressing the importance of preventing trauma.