KUWAIT CITY, March 19: The Minister of Health Dr. Ahmad Al-Awadhi urged Kuwaiti surgeons to adopt and implement the “Surgical Safety Checklist” in all operating rooms of Kuwait hospitals. In a speech he delivered during the Ramadan Ghabqa held by the Kuwait Association of Surgeons (KAS) the day before yesterday, Dr. Al-Awadhi said the checklist has proven its ability to improve patient safety, and is now widely used in many countries of the world. He highlighted the importance of using it as a protocol in operating rooms, as it not only led to improving patient safety procedures but also to the integration of teamwork skills and improved the culture, quality and safety of work within operating rooms. Dr. Al-Awadhi stressed the Ministry of Health’s keenness to keep pace with the great developments in the field of technology and medical research, the specialty of general surgery and its branches and sub-specialties, as well as to support conferences to exchange experiences and knowledge for improving medical services and their impact on the development of the health system in the country.

Important
He also highlighted the important roles played by surgeons in the fields of general surgery, obesity surgeries, colon surgeries, tissue tumors, severe injuries, and other delicate surgeries. The minister affirmed that Kuwait is distinguished by the cooperation between the government sectors and the public benefit associations, pointing out the presence of many associations, including the Kuwait Association of Surgeons, which includes an elite of surgeons from various medical specialties.

He said, “They truly are people who handle difficult tasks in difficult places such as earthquakes, wars, etc. Despite the large role that doctors play in general in serving patients, surgeons still have a distinctive role among doctors.”

Meanwhile, the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Defense Abdullah Mishal Al-Sabah appreciated the efforts exerted by the Ministry of Health to improve the health services provided in the country. He said, “The development and advancement of health services requires concerted efforts between various ministries and state institutions. It is a shared collective responsibility that everyone must cooperate to achieve and advance to provide distinguished medical services to citizens and residents.”

Furthermore, the President of the Kuwait Association of Surgeons Dr. Shihab Akrauf highlighted the society’s keenness to hold the Ramadan Ghabqa annually, as it is the only gathering of surgeons outside the walls of work, and away from daily pressures, in a unique family atmosphere interspersed with many competitions. He said it is an opportunity to review the society’s achievements during the year, including community contributions, first aid training programs and awareness of chronic diseases, as well as various training courses held inside and outside Kuwait.

Dr. Akrauf highlighted the conclusion of several agreements with similar external bodies, the preparation of training programs at a high level of professionalism and leadership training, and the holding of many conferences. He praised the society’s cooperation with the Kuwait Red Crescent to provide aid and medical support to the people of Gaza, stressing that a conference on surgery in times of war and crises had been held recently within the framework of the distinguished social and pivotal role of the State of Kuwait in the areas of relief.

Dr. Akrauf also highlighted Kuwait’s pioneering role in the field of surgical operations in various specialties such as in the heart, bones, organ transplantation, nerves, or eye specialties. He appreciated the society’s pioneering role in surgical training programs, advancing the medical services provided, enhancing the work of surgeons, each in their specialty, and developing their surgical expertise and skills by holding workshops and organizing conferences, as well as drawing on international expertise in this field.

Encouraging
Dr. Akrauf also affirmed the role of the society in raising the scientific level and encouraging research and study among surgeons through various means, such as holding seminars, lectures and conferences at the local and international levels, and exchanging experiences with specialized societies abroad. He said the society, through its ongoing programs throughout the year, works to develop the spirit of cooperation among members, maintain the technical and moral level, and help them achieve the best possible conditions for serving their patients. It is worth highlighting that the Minister of Health Dr. Ahmad Al- Awadhi, during the Kuwait Association of Surgeons’ Ghabqa honored the Kuwaiti volunteer medical team that had assisted the Palestinian medical teams in Gaza, and helped them in performing surgical operations on many of the wounded and injured. He expressed appreciation for the society’s initiative with this honor. The team includes anesthesia and intensive care consultant at Adan Hospital Dr. Mohammad Shamsah, urology consultant Dr. Faisal Al- Hajri, orthopedic and endoscopic surgery consultant Dr. Hussein Al-Quwaian, liver and pancreas surgery consultant Dr. Mohammad Al-Jamal, and Director of the legal department and volunteer affairs at the Kuwait Red Crescent Society Dr. Musaed Al-Enezi.

By Marwa Al-Bahrawi

Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff