Following the successful opening of its main hospital nearly six months ago, Sidra Medicine, a member of Qatar Foundation, is preparing to mark the next major milestone in its development as Qatar’s leading provider of pediatric care with the opening of its Children’s Emergency Department (CED) in early July.
The new CED will add capacity to Qatar’s existing healthcare facilities – such as the five Pediatric Emergency Centers (PECs), which will remain open – and complement those services already available at Sidra Medicine.
“This is a major milestone in our journey towards delivering a world-class center for children’s services in Qatar and our aim to become a beacon of healthcare excellence for children, young people, and women,” said Sidra Medicine Chief Executive Officer Peter Morris. “We are immensely grateful for the support from our healthcare partners and from the government of Qatar. As a result of our collaboration, and with the help of our highly-skilled and dedicated staff, we have made tangible contributions to the delivery of the very highest standards of care. As we open the Children’s Emergency Department, we aim to educate and engage with the people of Qatar about these new services and to help families access the right care in the right place.”
Sidra Medicine’s CED will provide emergency care and treatment for children requiring life-saving intervention or immediate attention – such as in cases of severe trauma and major medical and surgical emergencies – free of charge.
Sidra Medicine organizes its emergency care system according to best international practice as outlined in the Emergency Severity Index. Triage staff will determine the urgency of treatment and the appropriate level of care required.
Children who require non-urgent care – including upper respiratory issues like sore throats and coughs, rashes, or low-grade fever – should continue to seek treatment with their regular healthcare provider, as they normally would. Should patients choose to come to Sidra Medicine for treatment of cases that are considered non-emergencies, its Children’s Urgent Care Clinic will treat patients in order of medical urgency and require a charge of QAR 550 to be paid for consultation.
Before an official opening announcement for Sidra Medicine’s CED is made, members of the public should call 999 in the event of an emergency. Hamad Medical Corporation will dispatch the appropriate transport service for patients.
The new services will complement those already available at Sidra Medicine since opening its main hospital in January. Major achievements so far this year include:
- Opening the Sidra Medicine Heart Center with the help of an outstanding clinical team, cutting-edge equipment and facilities, and advanced treatments and care. In May, Sidra Medicine treated its first patient in the Heart Center’s new cardiac catheter labs, and is now preparing to establish the full heart program – including surgery – in early July.
- Utilizing advanced 3D printing technology linked to diagnostic imaging to produce anatomically accurate models of organs to help plan complex surgery.
- Launching a wide range of pediatric medical and surgical programs, including kidney dialysis, and becoming Qatar’s major center for neonatal surgery.
- Opening the Sidra Medicine Women’s Urgent Care and Obstetrics Triage Center for women with urgent issues related to pregnancy and the reproductive system, such as acute pelvic pain and bleeding complications in early pregnancy (below 12 weeks).
To complement the upcoming opening of its emergency facilities, Sidra Medicine is launching a community education campaign that will include community workshops as well as direct and social media messaging.