Doha: 11 November 2023 - The Emergency Departments at Hamad Medical Corporation have achieved progress in response time rates for delivering healthcare services to patients.
Dr. Aftab Mohammad Omar, Acting Head of the Emergency Department at HMC, stated that the efforts made to improve the level of care provided to patients in HMC’s emergency departments have contributed to reducing the median waiting time for patients to be seen by a doctor to less than one hour from arrival.
Dr. Aftab explained that HMC’s emergency departments received more than 700,000 admissions in 2022.
Dr. Aftab noted that all emergency departments operate around the clock, seven days a week, with a medical team consisting of consultant physicians and specialists. They are scheduled according to patient volumes throughout the day.
"The Emergency Department at HMC closely monitors all developments in HMC’s facilities and makes great efforts to provide the best healthcare for emergency department patients in all hospitals at HMC." Dr. Aftab said. He also emphasized that all emergency departments have witnessed several expansions in recent years to accommodate the increasing number of visitors and to deliver advanced medical services in line with the best global emergency medicine practices. This aligns with HMC's commitment to providing the best healthcare for citizens and residents of Qatar.
"The pediatric emergency departments have achieved numerous accomplishments, with the pediatric emergency departments at HMC receiving over 600,000 annual visits in recent years. This is one of the highest numbers in the region," said, Dr. Mohammad Al Amri, Chief of Pediatrics Department at HMC and Director of Pediatric Emergencies.
Dr. Al Ameri emphasized that HMC provides all the latest medical equipment in the field of pediatrics for the pediatric emergency departments. These modern medical devices aid medical staff during critical interventions and in diagnosing children's conditions. Additionally, pediatric emergency departments offer ultrasound imaging for any child whose condition requires it. HGH also provides MRI and a high level of ICU for critically ill children who require specialized care.
"Our strategic plans are part of Qatar's National Health Strategy, and we maintain continuous communication with the MoPH to monitor and improve the implementation of these plans. The protocols followed in the pediatric emergency departments are international treatment protocols that are updated annually based on the latest scientific studies and research in pediatric emergency medicine." Dr. Al Amri explained.
Dr. Al Amri emphasized the commitment of the pediatric emergency medicine management in enhancing the expertise of medical staff for critical and emergency interventions. He mentioned that all the physicians working in the pediatric emergency departments are certified in CPR and have received intensive training, including pediatric anesthesia training in the pediatric emergency departments. Al Amri considered such measures as evidence of their adherence to global standards for critical and emergency cases in pediatric medicine.
Dr. Al Amri affirmed that the pediatric emergency departments at HMC provide treatment for all types of cases by applying the Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale (CTAS) to classify patients and assess the severity of their medical conditions to ensure the ongoing provision of effective care for all emergency department patients.
"The Canadian Triage and Acuity Scale allows us to deal with patients based on their medical condition. For example, critical cases receive immediate attention upon arrival at the pediatric emergency departments, and category 2 cases must be assessed within 15 minutes, while category 3 within 30 minutes. Categories 4 and 5 are for minor cases that can seek care at health centers. We have medical teams ready around the clock to handle all cases." He explained.
Speaking about the most common cases received by the pediatric emergency departments, Dr. Al Ameri added, "We deal with respiratory system cases, digestive system cases, cases of syncope (fainting), and cases of neurological inflammation, in addition to all other medical conditions." He also noted that their pediatric emergency departments do not handle injuries and burns. In case their departments does receive burn cases, they are immediately evaluated and referred to Sidra Hospital, which specializes in dealing with injury and burn cases.
Dr. Al Amri anticipated an increase in the number of pediatric emergency department visitors during the winter season. He confirmed that the pediatric emergency department management has plans to schedule additional working shifts for doctors to cope with the expected winter rush. He also encouraged all citizens and residents to visit healthcare centers for minor conditions such as colds and flu to avoid adding pressure to the pediatric emergency departments. Dr. Al Amri emphasized the readiness of the pediatric emergency departments to receive any case referred from healthcare centers.