The telephone response time for accidents is less than five seconds, while the arrival time of ambulances at the site of the accident is less than eight minutes inside the city of Doha and less than 10 minutes outside it, a senior health official has said.
Sheikh Dr Mohamed bin Hamad al-Thani, the director of the Public Health Department at the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), made the observation while speaking on the country's ambulance services at an event through which Qatar commemorated the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims on Sunday.
The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims falls on the third Sunday of November every year, as determined by the United Nations, as a reminder of the tragedies and suffering that road accidents cause to the victims, their families, societies and countries.
Sunday's event, which was organised by the Ministry of Interior (MoI) to mark the occasion, included a presentation on the efforts and achievements of Qatar in the past years in view of the National Road Safety Strategy 2013-2023, and the global efforts in this context, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.
Speakers at the event emphasised that Qatar has made great progress in reducing road accident deaths to achieve a world record of 4.4 deaths per 100,000 people in 2019, QNA said.
With this achievement, the State leads countries of the region and occupies an advanced position on the global stage, thanks to its organised and co-ordinated efforts led by the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) and the co-operation of all members of the committee and other governmental and non-governmental agencies.
Dr Ibrahim bin Saleh al-Nuaimi, undersecretary at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE), member of the NTSC and head of the team to follow up on the implementation of the National Road Safety Strategy, said that the team's efforts were based on researching the strengths of the ministries and relevant authorities in implementing the plans related to the National Road Safety Strategy and working on investing and publishing them, as good practices at the State level.
They also pertained to addressing aspects that need improvement, providing solutions and raising recommendations, and enhancing continuous and effective communication between the authorities concerned regarding joint plans, according to the QNA report.
In a speech during the event, Dr al-Nuaimi explained that the role of the MoEHE is to consolidate the principles of traffic safety among students and the school community, to create a generation that is aware of traffic safety standards and appreciates its national role in preserving lives and property.
He added that the ministry has integrated traffic safety standards, and that co-ordination has been made with the NTSC to train teachers to implement them in a manner that achieves the set goals, in addition to the continuous awareness campaigns directed at students and parents, and the involvement of teachers and administrators in schools as part of these awareness campaigns.
Dr al-Nuaimi also referred to the development of streets surrounding and connecting schools, in accordance with the highest international standards, by the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) to ensure the greatest degree of safety and security for students, employees and parents.
For his part, assistant director-general of Traffic Colonel Nasser Darman al-Hajri said that setting ambitious goals to reduce road accident injuries is the greatest challenge facing the authorities and societies in their efforts to achieve road safety.
He noted that the countries that have implemented measures to improve road safety have achieved great progress and success in reducing the number of deaths and injuries resulting from traffic accidents.
Colonel al-Hajri praised the efforts exerted by the police, Civil Defence, emergency and medical services and other authorities concerned to prevent accidents and reduce the damage caused by them.
Meanwhile, Public Health Department director Sheikh Dr Mohamed highlighted the role of the health sector in reducing the number of deaths, noting the significance of the health services and their development in facing this problem.
He also underlined the important role of the health sector for accident survivors who have sustained injuries and wounds – minor, medium and severe – and the major role played by the MoPH and its keenness to provide efficient and immediate ambulance services capable of responding to the aftermath of an accident.
Sheikh Dr Mohamed also noted the quality of services provided at the accident site and during the transportation of the injured to the hospital, in addition to improving the quality of ambulances and training workers in accordance with international standards.
These are in addition to the excellent co-ordination with the departments of accident, trauma and emergency, as well as the commitment to conduct periodic evaluation of the services provided and obtain international accreditation.
Sheikh Dr Mohamed stressed the importance of raising awareness of the dangers of traffic accidents and the need to adhere to rules and regulations on roads.
He called for continued efforts to improve infrastructure, providing more modern technologies for road safety, developing speed control and management systems, improving standards for driving cars and bicycles, setting safety standards, reviewing and developing traffic laws constantly, developing community awareness and the continuous development of emergency, therapeutic and rehabilitative services and home care, as well as enhancing co-operation and co-ordination between all partners to achieve common goals in the traffic field, QNA added.
He noted the importance of marking the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims as an opportunity to discuss ways to reduce road accidents and explain to the society the health, psychological and economic burdens resulting from these accidents.
For his part, NTSC secretary Brigadier Mohamed Abdullah al-Malki said that since its formation, the committee has prioritised the issue of traffic safety and prepared the first National Road Safety Strategy – an ambitious strategy aimed at reducing the death rate to six per 100,000 people by 2022.
He underlined that Qatar has now achieved and even exceeded this goal, as the death rate decreased to 4.4 deaths per 100,000 people in 2019.
In 2013, when Qatar launched its traffic safety strategy, the corresponding rate was 9.3.
He explained that these figures indicate the great progress made Qatar in achieving road safety, thanks to efforts exerted by all parties.
Meanwhile, senior consultant Sheikh Dr Hassan al-Thani, the head of the Trauma Surgery Section at Hamad Medical Corporation's Trauma Centre, underlined that Qatar has witnessed a remarkable development in trauma medicine, and stressed the need for complete adherence to traffic rules and systems in order to prevent accidents.
Talib Afifa, a member of the board of directors of the Qatar Foundation for Rehabilitation of Special Needs, said that the commemoration of road accidents victims is aimed at educating and guiding all parties concerned on the need to limit the loss of lives on the roads.
Afifa presented the efforts of the foundation in serving people with special needs and continuously raising awareness of traffic issues in its annual programmes.
The World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims falls on the third Sunday of November every year, as determined by the United Nations, as a reminder of the tragedies and suffering that road accidents cause to the victims, their families, societies and countries.
Sunday's event, which was organised by the Ministry of Interior (MoI) to mark the occasion, included a presentation on the efforts and achievements of Qatar in the past years in view of the National Road Safety Strategy 2013-2023, and the global efforts in this context, Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.
Speakers at the event emphasised that Qatar has made great progress in reducing road accident deaths to achieve a world record of 4.4 deaths per 100,000 people in 2019, QNA said.
With this achievement, the State leads countries of the region and occupies an advanced position on the global stage, thanks to its organised and co-ordinated efforts led by the National Traffic Safety Committee (NTSC) and the co-operation of all members of the committee and other governmental and non-governmental agencies.
Dr Ibrahim bin Saleh al-Nuaimi, undersecretary at the Ministry of Education and Higher Education (MoEHE), member of the NTSC and head of the team to follow up on the implementation of the National Road Safety Strategy, said that the team's efforts were based on researching the strengths of the ministries and relevant authorities in implementing the plans related to the National Road Safety Strategy and working on investing and publishing them, as good practices at the State level.
They also pertained to addressing aspects that need improvement, providing solutions and raising recommendations, and enhancing continuous and effective communication between the authorities concerned regarding joint plans, according to the QNA report.
In a speech during the event, Dr al-Nuaimi explained that the role of the MoEHE is to consolidate the principles of traffic safety among students and the school community, to create a generation that is aware of traffic safety standards and appreciates its national role in preserving lives and property.
He added that the ministry has integrated traffic safety standards, and that co-ordination has been made with the NTSC to train teachers to implement them in a manner that achieves the set goals, in addition to the continuous awareness campaigns directed at students and parents, and the involvement of teachers and administrators in schools as part of these awareness campaigns.
Dr al-Nuaimi also referred to the development of streets surrounding and connecting schools, in accordance with the highest international standards, by the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) to ensure the greatest degree of safety and security for students, employees and parents.
For his part, assistant director-general of Traffic Colonel Nasser Darman al-Hajri said that setting ambitious goals to reduce road accident injuries is the greatest challenge facing the authorities and societies in their efforts to achieve road safety.
He noted that the countries that have implemented measures to improve road safety have achieved great progress and success in reducing the number of deaths and injuries resulting from traffic accidents.
Colonel al-Hajri praised the efforts exerted by the police, Civil Defence, emergency and medical services and other authorities concerned to prevent accidents and reduce the damage caused by them.
Meanwhile, Public Health Department director Sheikh Dr Mohamed highlighted the role of the health sector in reducing the number of deaths, noting the significance of the health services and their development in facing this problem.
He also underlined the important role of the health sector for accident survivors who have sustained injuries and wounds – minor, medium and severe – and the major role played by the MoPH and its keenness to provide efficient and immediate ambulance services capable of responding to the aftermath of an accident.
Sheikh Dr Mohamed also noted the quality of services provided at the accident site and during the transportation of the injured to the hospital, in addition to improving the quality of ambulances and training workers in accordance with international standards.
These are in addition to the excellent co-ordination with the departments of accident, trauma and emergency, as well as the commitment to conduct periodic evaluation of the services provided and obtain international accreditation.
Sheikh Dr Mohamed stressed the importance of raising awareness of the dangers of traffic accidents and the need to adhere to rules and regulations on roads.
He called for continued efforts to improve infrastructure, providing more modern technologies for road safety, developing speed control and management systems, improving standards for driving cars and bicycles, setting safety standards, reviewing and developing traffic laws constantly, developing community awareness and the continuous development of emergency, therapeutic and rehabilitative services and home care, as well as enhancing co-operation and co-ordination between all partners to achieve common goals in the traffic field, QNA added.
He noted the importance of marking the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims as an opportunity to discuss ways to reduce road accidents and explain to the society the health, psychological and economic burdens resulting from these accidents.
For his part, NTSC secretary Brigadier Mohamed Abdullah al-Malki said that since its formation, the committee has prioritised the issue of traffic safety and prepared the first National Road Safety Strategy – an ambitious strategy aimed at reducing the death rate to six per 100,000 people by 2022.
He underlined that Qatar has now achieved and even exceeded this goal, as the death rate decreased to 4.4 deaths per 100,000 people in 2019.
In 2013, when Qatar launched its traffic safety strategy, the corresponding rate was 9.3.
He explained that these figures indicate the great progress made Qatar in achieving road safety, thanks to efforts exerted by all parties.
Meanwhile, senior consultant Sheikh Dr Hassan al-Thani, the head of the Trauma Surgery Section at Hamad Medical Corporation's Trauma Centre, underlined that Qatar has witnessed a remarkable development in trauma medicine, and stressed the need for complete adherence to traffic rules and systems in order to prevent accidents.
Talib Afifa, a member of the board of directors of the Qatar Foundation for Rehabilitation of Special Needs, said that the commemoration of road accidents victims is aimed at educating and guiding all parties concerned on the need to limit the loss of lives on the roads.
Afifa presented the efforts of the foundation in serving people with special needs and continuously raising awareness of traffic issues in its annual programmes.
