"Readiness" Launches the first unified national system to enhance hospital emergency response
Abu Dhabi, February 16, 2017 – The Emirates National Program for Medical Preparedness and Response, “Jaheziya,” announced the launch of the first unified, integrated, and internationally accredited national training system, aiming to develop the health sector and enhance the readiness of hospitals nationwide, enabling the first line of defense to respond quickly and effectively to medical emergencies, disasters, and health crises in accordance with the best international standards and practices.
The program stressed that the initiative comes within the vision of the state and the directives of its wise leadership to build a flexible and proactive health system, based on advance preparedness and risk management, enhancing national health security, and consolidating the UAE’s position as a regional and international center for excellence in medical preparedness and response.
The new national system constitutes a comprehensive strategic framework for unifying training concepts and protocols and linking academic education with practical application within health facilities, in addition to developing an integrated operational model for emergency and disaster management, ensuring rapid decision-making and achieving the highest levels of operational efficiency in exceptional circumstances.
The system is based on four interconnected strategic axes, including education, training, scientific research, and practical application. On the educational side, specialized curricula have been developed in emergency medicine, critical care, surgery, disaster management, and health leadership, in accordance with the latest clinical evidence and international standards, while aligning them with the needs of the national health system.
As for the training aspect, it adopted advanced programs based on high-accuracy medical simulation, management of realistic scenarios for multiple casualty accidents and health disasters, and implementation of joint field exercises within hospitals, in addition to preparing and qualifying certified national trainers to ensure the sustainability of knowledge and the transfer of expertise.
On the research side, the program supports applied studies in the fields of health preparedness and risk management, the development of national performance indicators to measure the level of preparedness and response within health facilities, and the analysis of operational gaps, which contributes to improving health policies and raising the quality of services.
The system also includes activating command and control systems in emergency situations, and enhancing integration between emergency, intensive care, surgery, and anesthesia departments, to ensure immediate handling of critical cases during the “golden hour,” in coordination with paramedics, civil defense, police, emergency, and disaster teams, to reduce avoidable deaths through the optimal use of simulation technology and virtual intelligence.
It is expected that the unified national system will contribute to unifying emergency response protocols at the national level, raising the efficiency of health personnel, enhancing the continuity of health services in various circumstances, and supporting quality standards and institutional accreditation, thus enhancing the UAE’s ability to deal with future health challenges with high efficiency and professionalism.
Dr. Adel Al-Shammari Al-Ajmi, Emirati cardiothoracic surgeon and CEO of the Emirates Preparedness and Response Program, said that “Jaheziya” has created a qualitative shift in the health sector through strategic investment in the human element, in line with the leadership’s directives to adopt the best international practices and attract the most prominent universities, hospitals and international training centers.
He pointed out that the program, over the course of five years, attracted more than 10 of the best international universities and training centers, and contributed to training thousands of first-line defense personnel in Abu Dhabi and the country, which raised the readiness of hospitals in emergency, intensive care, surgery and anesthesia, and strengthened the institutional capacity to manage disasters and health crises with high efficiency.
He added that Jaheziya has established specialized training centers in various emirates to ensure the sustainability of training and expand its scope geographically and institutionally, in a way that enhances national integration and achieves self-sufficiency in specialized training.
For his part, Professor Roberto Miguefero, President of the European Center for Disaster Medicine, praised the Emirati experience, stressing that “Jaheziya” is an advanced model in unifying training curricula in accordance with European and international standards, and the partnership enhances the exchange of experiences and applied scientific research in the fields of emergency and disaster medicine.
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