Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), recently commemorated the 2017 World Day of Remembrance for Victims of Road Traffic Injuries (WDR).
In Qatar, road traffic injuries are recognised as a leading cause of death and disability, especially among the young population. The day, which has been recognised by the United Nations, is commemorated on the third Sunday of November each year and is dedicated to remembering the millions killed and injured in road crashes globally.
The theme for WDR 2017 was ‘Towards 2020 Target: Reduce Road Fatalities and Serious Injuries by 50%.’ Dr Hassan al-Thani, head of Trauma Services at HMC’s Hamad Trauma Center said, “We have been working with external partners to optimise the post-crash response from the National Trauma System of Qatar. We are very proud to recognise the contribution of each of our partners in the 43% reduction in road death rates and the 25% drop in the rate of serious road injuries from 2011 to 2016.”
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Hamad General Hospital’s Level I Trauma Center is an essential part of The National Trauma System of Qatar
Working in collaboration with the HMC Ambulance Service and HMC’s network of hospitals, including the Hamad General Hospital Level I Trauma Center, the HMC Trauma System delivers a full range of highly-specialised care to Qatar’s most severely injured patients.
A number of HMC leaders and senior representatives from the Qatar Society for Rehabilitation of Special Needs and the Al Shafallah Center commented on the importance of providing quality and timely medical care and rehabilitation to victims of road traffic accidents.
Brendon Morris, executive director of HMC’s Ambulance Service, said the goal of the Ambulance Service is to provide access to effective care and to continue to improve patient outcomes, despite the yearly increase in demand for their services.
Dr Wafa al-Yazeedi, chairperson, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Qatar Rehabilitation Institute spoke about the importance of bringing multiple disciplines together during the recovery process in an effort to maximise the potential of more favourable outcomes, and ultimately return an injured person to good health and well-being in the community.
The one-day WDR event was supplemented by a week-long blood donation drive at the HMC Blood Donor Center.