JEDDAH, 29 November 2005 — The first Obstetrics Emergency Course in the Kingdom began yesterday at the Westin Hotel. Conducted by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at King Khaled National Guard Hospital in Jeddah (KKNGH), the three-day event features lectures and hands-on workshops.
“This is a course that has proved to be a very effective way in teaching and training obstetricians for emergencies such as hemorrhage after delivery, which remains the leading cause of maternal death in Saudi Arabia,” said Dr. Fahd Khalifa, the chairman of the organizing committee of the course and the chairman of the obstetrics department at KKNGH.
The techniques demonstrated in the workshops have been developed and mastered in North America, and the workshops have proved very effective in teaching the techniques and improving patient care in order to reduce the risks associated with obstetrics.
“A recent article in the Obstetrics and Gynecology Journal by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology showed major improvements in understanding and perfecting the techniques after the course,” said Dr. Khalifa. The course here is taught by highly trained obstetricians from the National Guard Hospital, the majority of whom have been trained and certified in North America.
The course has attracted over 30 participants from different public and private hospitals around the country. “This is an appropriate number of participants for such a course as it depends on hands-on experience,” said Dr. Khalifa. “The participants will feel the difference in their confidence and competence in performing these maneuvers which are critical and life-saving,” he added.
The participants will learn about risk management, vacuum and forceps assisted deliveries, shoulder dystocia and post partum hemorrhage. The course will assist junior health care providers in learning new techniques and will benefit senior staff who want to hone their skills and teach the junior staff in their institutions. It is the first time this course has been given in the Kingdom and the hospital plans to conduct it twice a year and to organize a series of courses such as evidence-based medicine for gynecology, laser and pre-invasive gynecological disorders.
