A TRAUMA team has been formed at Bahrain’s main public hospital, to offer the highest international level of trauma care.
The Salmaniya Medical Complex (SMC) has also signed a contract to obtain Canadian accreditation so that it can be recognised as a level one trauma care centre.
A trauma centre is equipped and staffed to care for patients who have suffered major, serious injuries such as falls, car accidents, or gunshot wounds.
There are five levels of trauma centres, which are determined by the resources available and the number of patients seen annually at the hospital where the centre is located.
A separate set of criteria applies for paediatric trauma centres.
Government Hospitals Traumatic Injuries Council chairman Dr Mohammed Arafa said the newly-formed trauma team is specialised in treating severe, distressing and shocking injuries that are medically categorised as ‘traumatic’.
In a video released on the official social media platforms of the Government Hospitals, the general surgery consultant noted that the team was formed under the special directives of the Government Hospitals’ chief executive Dr Ahmed Al Ansari.
“The (trauma) team will work to respond quickly to trauma patients to help preserve their lives,” said Dr Arafa.
“We have signed a contract to obtain the Canadian accreditation (Accreditation Canada by the Trauma Association of Canada) so that the SMC becomes a centre specialised in trauma care and as a level one trauma care centre, which is the highest international level.
“This will allow us to contribute to international research so we can provide the highest possible level of service to trauma patients.”
Once accredited, the centre will be located at the SMC Accident and Emergency (A&E) Department, which is the largest such facility in the country and receives an average of 1,200 patients daily.
The department uses the Manchester Triage System (a clinical risk management tool used worldwide to safely manage patient flow when clinical need far exceeds capacity) and is a recognised training centre of the Arab Board of Emergency Medicine.
Bahrain has been putting in massive efforts to develop its emergency medicine care, a health segment which mainly comprises emergency departments and trauma care centres.
The Emergency Medical Services was developed in 1985 within the A&E Department to provide pre-hospital emergency medical care services to the sick and injured patients.
Annual emergency conferences, standardised protocols, and the national ambulance system with advanced life support care by trained paramedics were also part of the efforts.
“While an emergency room handles all kinds of patients who need an urgent treatment from sprained ankles to heart attacks to strokes, a trauma centre, usually located within the emergency rooms, deals with extreme cases where immediate survival is what matters,” explained a leading Bahraini family physician who described the setting up of the trauma team at the SMC as a ‘promising leap’ for Bahrain’s healthcare sector.
“A trauma care centre will be equipped with specialised surgeons in treating traumatic injuries with the help of sophisticated treatment modes and equipment,” said the medic, who requested not to be named.
“The setting up of trauma team aims to interfere medically to rescue and manage the cases by a specialised team in order to minimise complication and improve future outcome.
“This will definitely improve the efficiency of the SMC, as a tertiary care hospital as well as that of the medical team.
“Being part of the health sector in Bahrain, I see this as a very promising leap in terms of the improvement of the nation’s healthcare services.
“The availability of a trauma team is an add-on to the country’s credibility to meet international accreditation standards – this will put Bahrain in par with the developed countries worldwide.”
The GDN reported in May that a special team was constituted at SMC to handle accident and emergency cases as part of the policy to upgrade the kingdom’s healthcare system aiming at the overall improvement of treatment experience for people.
raji@gdnmedia.bh
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