Abu Dhabi doctors hail new 'life-saving' requirements for emergency divisions

Abu Dhabi - The new structure will provide patients with access to better designed emergency units.

Doctors in Abu Dhabi have welcomed the announcement by the Department of Health-Abu Dhabi (DoH) on new requirements for emergency departments across all public and private hospitals. They said the new structure would help save precious time during critical and life-threatening situations.
Last week, the DoH announced the emergency divisions will be restructured into two distinct departments - emergency departments and urgent care centres.
The standard stipulates specific service requirements and criteria that all public and private hospitals in Abu Dhabi will have to fulfil, in order to obtain licensing for their emergency departments.
Doctors told Khaleej Times that the new structure will provide patients with access to better designed emergency units that meet their medical needs more efficiently.
Dr Jacques Kobersy, institute chair, emergency medicine, Emergency Medicine Institute, said the new standards have two main objectives. "The first is to make sure the population is clear on what to expect from an urgent care versus an emergency department and where to seek care, and the second is ensuring there is a certain level of standard quality to patient care and safety."
He pointed out that emergency departments can handle anything that an urgent care can see, but conversely, an urgent care cannot handle everything that an emergency department receives.
"Minor injuries, coughs and colds, or a sprained ankle, as examples, can be taken care of by the urgent care."
Emergency cases, including a motor vehicle accident, head injures, heart attacks and strokes, must be taken by emergency departments.
Dr Georgey Koshy, cheif medical officer, Universal Hospital, said the move will help upscale the level of patient care by hospitals. He said since there are more private hospitals than public hospitals in Abu Dhabi, the decision will help save doctors and patients - as patients will no longer need to drive the distance to public hospitals for minor emergencies.
"Patients won't have to rush all the way to a hospital that is a long distance away for a minor problem, which can be handled by urgent care.
"What I hope for now is the police ambulances can be given a mandate to go to the nearest certified emergency and trauma centre, which will allow emergencies to be brought to the private sector. This will help save more time and more lives."
Dr Magdi Mohammed, consultant - emergency medicine, Burjeel Hospital, also welcomed the new emergency department requirements.
"This is a very good initiative that will improve the emergency care services for patients."
Dr Mohammed said emergency departments require new standards related to the infrastructure and manpower. He added that emergency medicine is a rare specialisation, stressing that it only began in the late 1970s in the US.
"That's why the DoH now wants to ensure every emergency department is led by at least one emergency medicine specialist or consultant. Before this rule, emergency departments were only run by surgeons and physicians."
He pointed out that the top emergency cases that will be handled by emergency departments include head injuries, heart attacks, strokes, severe allergies, blood clot in the lungs and pneumothorax (air inside the lungs causing the lungs to compress).
On the other hand, urgent care centres will take care of minor emergencies such as, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, minor trauma, sprain and small wounds.
"The urgent care can be run by general practitioners - they also don't require special paediatric or special psychiatric areas, unlike the emergency departments."
Dr Talaat Elabd, medical director and specialist - anaesthesia and ICU at Bareen International Hospital, said: "Until now, most emergency departments in private hospitals are not covered by specialised emergency physicians."
Cases handled by the centres
Emergency departments:
> Motor vehicle accidents
> Head injuries/head trauma
> Heart attacks
> Severe chest pain
> Stroke
> Blood clotting in lungs
> Pneumothorax
> Severe allergies
> Severe hemorrhage
> Major asthma attacks
Urgent care centres
> Sprain
> Small wounds
> Abdominal pain
> Vomiting 
> Diarrhea
> Minor asthma attacks
> Minor trauma
> Flu
> Coughs and colds
> Headaches
jasmine@khaleejtimes.com  

• Abu Dhabi