The Department was established in 1973. It rendered emergency medical services through the Surgery Department of Health. The staff then comprised was only f our doctors. As the number of cases referring to the department increased, the number of doctors was increased to eight. In the second half of the 1990s, internal medicine and cardiology units were added to the existing surgery and contusion units. The Department was thus able to render specialized services.
Early in 2002, and with the introduction of several changes and modifications, the Unit began to function as a separate unit, side by side with the Intensive Care Unit. The Department since then has been committed to the implementation of a development strategy involving all administrative, educational and technical aspects. This strategy has rapidly led the Department towards the attainment of excellence. The classification of cases according to a carefully developed system has made it possible to handle cases more rapidly and more efficiently. In the meantime, it helped to reduce the rush of patients at the Department.
An adjacent clinic has been established to receive non-emergency cases. This has also helped to reduce the costs. The development plan has resulted in an increase in the number of doctors and nurses employed in order to cope with both the rise in and variation of cases received.
The number of intensive care rooms was raised to three, thus making it possible to absorb more serious cases. The number of artificial respiratory apparatuses was also increased to eight. Moreover, biometric equipment has also been increased, and new treatment rooms have been added. These rooms have been provided with new surgical tools thus rendering it possible to perform smaller surgical operations therein. Moreover a medical laboratory has been installed at the Emergency Department to expedite diagnosis.
Likewise, a cardiac intensive care unit was set up and staffed with a well-trained cadre so much so that it has resulted in many lives saved, and in efficient handling of fractures and contusions. Furthermore a plan has been developed to ensure constant professional staff development by sending doctors on training and scientific missions at home and abroad to obtain ATLS and ACLS.
The Department has also developed the system of shift chief, whereby a doctor is responsible for each shift of the round -the-clock service. The chief ensures the proper functioning of the Department, the focus always being on the patients and their safety and comfort. Moreover, the Department has formed a number of teams to monitor action therein. These are: the Complaints and Medical Errors Committee, the Development and Quality Team, and four disaster-handling teams, which act on the spot. Additionally, the Emergency Department contributes to medical education by hosting interns and medical students from various parts of the world: the UAE faculties of medicine, and interns from Saudi Arabia, Ireland, Germany, Scotland, Pakistan and India.
The progress and development achieved by the Emergency Department in recent years in the technical, administrative, and educational aspects is the outcome of hard work by its staff who are pursuing a policy whose ultimate objective is to render the Emergency Department at Rashid Hospital a pioneer among such departments in the Gulf region. At present, work is in progress for the establishment of an advanced accidents center at the Hospital, and this would be the first of its kind in the Gulf and Middle East both size- wise and quality - wise. This would be an extension to the quest for excellence, which is the hallmark of services in the UAE.
The Emergency and Critical Care Department at Rashid Hospital receives around 400 cases daily. These are classified in accordance with a highly sophisticated system.
A team of well-qualified doctors, nurses and support medical staff act concertedly at the Department handling emergency cases of all types. They are also assisted by highly trained intensive care staffs who handle victims of accidents and disasters.
At present, the Department can handle 40 emergency cases at the same time, as it possesses the equipments necessary to cope with such situations.
In view of the role played by the Emergency Department at Rashid Hospital, and the excellent services it renders to patients; and the excellent services it offers to UAE society, it deserves the Hamdan Award for an outstanding clinical department in the public section in the UAE for the year 2003-2004.
