Dr. Bandar Al Knawy, the CEO of National Guard Health Affairs and the President of King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, launched the activities of the Pediatric Fundamental Critical Care Support Course held in the Post-Graduate Training Center at King Abdulaziz Medical City.
Dr. Osama Kentab, Chairman of the Organizing Committee said this is the first time that this course has been held outside North and South America, and in the Middle East, which means that the National Guard Health Affairs is taking the lead in conducting such courses ahead of major hospitals in Europe. Dr. Osama commended the support and efforts of His Excellency Dr. Bandar Al Knawy in organizing this course in the National Guard Health Affairs.
Dr. Osama pointed out that the course included several lectures such as diagnosis and management of respiratory failure, treatment of infectious diseases, diagnosis and management of acute shock plus a number of workshops including mechanical ventilation, the transportation of critically ill children and post-operative care.
Additionally, Dr. Osama said that the aim of this course is to refine and develop the employees’ skills when it comes to dealing with pediatric critical situations, expressing hope that this course will add some value the department before moving to King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital.
Dr. Dan Bruzzini, Assistant Professor in Neonatology at St. Mary's Medical Center in the United States expressed his admiration towards the interaction of the participants in this course, pointing out that the number of participants in this course exceeded the number of the participants in North and South America.
On the other hand Dr. Rodrigo Mejia, Associate Professor in pediatrics also expressed his admiration towards the tools, equipment and training rooms available at the post graduate training center, describing it as comparable to the training centers at the University of Houston and its hospital, saying that the image he had in mind is completely different from the reality he witnessed after arriving to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is known that the post graduate training center at King Abdulaziz Medical City is accredited by the Society of Critical Care Medicine (SCCM).
Finally, the course included several lectures given by elite Pediatrics experts at King Abdulaziz Medical City, including Dr. Hala Alem, the head of the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit, and Dr. Osama Kentab, pediatric emergency consultant, Dr. Mohammed Kabbani, the head of the pediatric intensive care unit, Dr. Mahmoud Barbary, a pediatric consultant and Majed Al-Essa Pediatric consultant.