Kuwaiti official: MoH keen on enhancing emergency medical services

KUWAIT, Feb 18 (KUNA) -- The Assistant Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health for Allied Medical Services Affairs, Dr. Abdullah Al-Faras, affirmed on Sunday the Ministry's keenness to improve the emergency medical system by honing the skills of the practitioners and services provided to citizens.
Al-Faras added in his speech during the emergency medical services... current reality and future aspirations conference that the ministry was keen, through the government's 100-day work program, to support and develop emergency medical services and launch a new fleet of ambulances equipped with the latest technologies.
The conference embodies the ministry's determination to keep up with technological and scientific developments related to medical emergencies, share experiences and exchange future visions to enhance cooperation between specialists in this field, he added.
Dr. Al-Faras said that the ministry would not skimp on supporting emergency medical practitioners and pointed to their role in the relief bridge for Gaza and their expected mission soon in accompanying and receiving the wounded in Gaza.
On his part, the President of the Conference, Director of the Medical Emergency Department, Dr. Ahmed Al-Shatti, revealed the launch of 10 ambulance centers in 2024, bringing the total number of ambulance centers and clinics to 86 centers and 200 ambulances.
Al-Shatti noted that in 2023, the total number of urgent reports reached 126,000, the total number of cases transported by ambulances reached 128,000, and the response rate reached 10 minutes, expressing optimism that the new ambulances would contribute to shortening this time.
He added that the number of cases of road accidents transported by ambulances amounted to 8,757 cases, and the number of cases transported by air ambulance amounted to 808 cases.
He noted that medical evacuation to and from Kuwait amounted to 91 cases, and the number of coverage of various events reached 6,662 coverage, while mock exercises jumped from 9 in 2021 to 92 exercises, equivalent to seven times.
He explained that continuous medical training add to the credibility and accreditation for international recognition and stressed that training must include mental health and accommodation of the pressure that fall on the working team and patients.
The annual conference for medical emergencies included 40 scientific papers, 10 sessions and three workshops on emergency medical services, whether in terms of air or sea ambulance services, and how to deal with disasters and crises.
The conference coincides with the country's celebrations of national holidays, in addition to keeping pace with the Kuwaiti Ambulance Day, which falls on February 20, stressing the importance of attracting qualified cadres in light of global competition to cover shortage of qualified labor and advanced emergency technicians, Al-Shatti stated. (end) mrf.dss