31% reduction in number of severe road traffic injury admissions

Doha: Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Hamad Trauma Center has recorded a 31 percent reduction between 2011 and 2017 in the number of people per 100,000 population admitted with severe injuries due to road traffic accidents. Despite these dramatic improvements, Dr. Hassan Al Thani, Director of the Hamad Trauma Center, says there is more work to do to ensure Qatar’s roads are as safe as possible.

“The Hamad Trauma Center is at the heart of HMC’s Trauma System, which provides comprehensive care for trauma patients, including pre-hospital care, emergency care in the Hamad Trauma Center, and rehabilitation services,” explained Dr. Al Thani.

“Our focus is not only on providing care for patients who have suffered a traumatic injury, but we are also deeply committed to improving the health and safety of all Qatar’s residents – and road traffic safety is at the top of our agenda,’’ added Dr. Al Thani.

In December 2018, the Hamad Trauma Center signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the General Directorate of Traffic’s Media Awareness Section. The agreement will see the two groups work collaboratively in a wide range of road safety fields, including public awareness and education, data analysis, research, and capacity building.

“I am delighted to have signed this Memorandum of Understanding with the General Directorate of Traffic and to formalize the way in which we work collaboratively. I am confident that through this agreement we can raise greater awareness of road safety in Qatar and help to keep people safe on our roads,” stated Dr. Al Thani.

The new agreement will coordinate the road safety efforts of the Hamad Trauma Center and the General Directorate of Traffic’s Media Awareness Section. This will lead to increased participation in public awareness events, deeper penetration into priority populations – including school children, worker groups, local families, and young drivers – and greater information sharing around road safety interventions, local trends in motor vehicle crashes, and road traffic injury data.

The Hamad Injury Prevention Program (HIPP) – the community outreach arm of the Hamad Trauma Center – will play a leading role in the implementation of the new agreement and will serve as the direct liaison between the Hamad Trauma Center and General Directorate of Traffic.

“Every year, the Hamad Trauma Center admits up to 900 patients with severe road traffic injuries, and despite this number falling in recent years, it is essential that organizations in Qatar work together to improve safety for drivers, passengers, and pedestrians on Qatar’s roads,” explained Dr. Rafael Consunji, Director of the HIPP.

The Hamad Trauma Center recently developed a set of car stickers to raise awareness among Qatar’s population about the importance of wearing a seat belt. Dr. Consunji says the seat belt is the most effective injury-prevention device in your vehicle.

“Unfortunately, our trauma surgeons see firsthand the devastating consequences of road traffic accidents and many of these injuries could be prevented if the victims had made the simple decision to wear a seat belt. This is why the Hamad Trauma Center is raising awareness, through these car stickers, of the importance of all drivers and passengers wearing a seat belt on every journey,” said Dr. Consunji.

سجّل مركز حمد لإصابات الحوادث -التابع لمؤسسة حمد الطبية- انخفاضاً في نسبة المرضى الداخليين من مصابي الحوادث بنحو 31 % خلال الأعوام 2011-2017؛ حيث تم تحديد معدل الانخفاض من خلال مقارنة عدد المصابين الذين أدخلوا الوحدة لإصاباتهم الخطيرة الناجمة عن حوادث طرق من بين كل 100,000 من السكان.

وأكد الدكتور حسن آل ثاني -مدير مركز حمد لإصابات الحوادث- أن العمل ما زال مستمراً لضمان حماية قصوى على الطرقات في قطر، وقال «يعدّ مركز حمد لإصابات الحوادث بمثابة الأساس لنظام الإصابات في مؤسسة حمد الطبية؛ حيث يقدّم رعاية شاملة لمرضى الإصابات بما فيها الرعاية التي تقدّم قبل الدخول إلى المستشفى ورعاية الطوارئ في مركز حمد لإصابات الحوادث وخدمات إعادة التأهيل». وأضاف: «لا ينصبّ تركيزنا فقط على توفير الرعاية للمرضى الذي يعانون من إصابات بليغة، بل نلتزم بشكل كبير بتعزيز الصحة والسلامة للسكان في قطر، وأولويتنا الأولى هي السلامة على الطرقات».;