Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, a subsidiary of the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi dedicated to enhancing the public and preventive health system in the Emirate, inaugurated the first-of-its-kind Safety Centre for injury prevention awareness in Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC).
The Safety Centre aims to educate all community members on the causes of injuries and effective prevention measures. Through an innovative and interactive experience, visitors will gain insights that foster enhanced learning and awareness, refining their skills in injury prevention topics, such as heat stress and occupational noise. The focus extends to injuries affecting senior citizens, residents, and children in various settings, including vehicles and homes. Additionally, the center emphasises the crucial role of personal protective equipment in maintaining safety.
The opening ceremony was attended by H.E. Matar Saeed Al Nuaimi, Director General of the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, H.E. Dr. Farida Al Hosani, Executive Director of the Infectious Diseases Sector at the Centre, and Dr. Saleh Saif Al Ali, Executive Director of the Emergency Preparedness and Response Centre at DoH as well as Dr. Naser Ammash, Chief Executive Officer of SSMC, Dr. Marcelo Ribeiro, Head of the Department of Trauma, Critical Care, and Acute Care Surgery at SSMC, and Ahmed AlSayari, Head of the Department of General Surgery and Medical Director of the Trauma Program at SSMC.
Prevention of child road traffic injuries ranks high among the Centre’s priorities. An effective measure to mitigate these incidents involves the use of child seats in vehicles. The Centre offers live demonstrations on the correct installation of child seats, ensuring the safety of young passengers. After the experience, visitors participate in a brief questionnaire, contributing to periodic analyses that assess the Centre’s impact on reducing community infections and enhancing overall awareness.
Commenting on this occasion, H.E. Mr. Matar Saeed Al Nuaimi, Director-General of ADPHC: “This project reflects the close collaboration between Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre and its strategic partners. Through this Safety Centre, we aim to increase awareness about ways to prevent and early treat injuries by providing training and education for all members of the community, including hospital visitors. As the primary facility for injury prevention in Abu Dhabi, we dedicate our efforts to developing various educational, training, and awareness programmes related to both work and the community.”
Dr. Naser Ammash, Chief Executive Officer of SSMC, said: “As the designated National Trauma and Burn Centre in Abu Dhabi, we are extremely pleased to be opening the Safety Centre, alongside our partners at the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre, on SSMC campus. With trauma being one of the leading causes of death and disability in the UAE, it is vital that we work together to raise awareness and educate the public on the importance of injury prevention. This Safety Centre offers an array of engaging sections that visitors can interact and benefit from. These cover areas such as safety at home, elderly injury prevention, car seat demos for various age groups, safety from injuries in heat as well as extensive details on personal protective equipment and how they’re used.”
It worth mentioning that safety centres in hospitals play a vital role in raising community awareness about the importance of injury prevention. They provide guidance and essential information to visitors of the centres, including both patients and their families.