Though Qatar is one of the most secure countries to live in, the health care system in the country is always alert to meet any disastrous or emergency situation, according to an expert. The World Health Day 2009, which fell on Tuesday, focuses on the safety of health facilities and the readiness of health workers who treat those affected by emergencies. Health care facilities are critical lifelines for vulnerable people in disasters — treating injuries, preventing illnesses and caring for people’s health needs.

"We are blessed to live in a country like Qatar, where we do not have to face any kind of large-scale disasters or emergency situations," said Dr Khalid Abu Noor Saifeldeen, Senior Consultant, Emergency Department, HMC.

"We don’t experience hazards which many other countries face, in terms of natural or man-made disasters. This does not mean that Hamad Medical Corporation cannot handle these situations," he told The Peninsula.

"HMC is a responsible organisation catering to the needs of all in Qatar. Over the years, HMC and health officials have taken initiatives to improve emergency care at all levels and introduce programmes for disaster management. Qatar is a well established country in terms of disaster and risk management. We run world-class courses here that are developed and researched in other countries. HMC is one of the very few centres in the Middle East which does these kinds of activities. Many of our physicians are experienced in disaster management. We have a risk management team which works along with other supporting services like the police and army," he said.

"There are set protocols in dealing with emergencies or casualties. Qatar is a safe country and is prepared a lot to deal with any such situations. There is a big area for improvement and we are striving to close any gaps."

Although only 11 percent of the people exposed to natural hazards live in developing countries, they account for more than 53 percent of global deaths due to natural disasters. This suggests there is a great scope for reducing the human death toll caused by natural disasters in developing countries.

There are many small-scale events that inflict an even greater toll in terms of human suffering, such as in the case of vehicle accidents and fires. Road traffic crashes kill 1.2m people annually, or more than 3,200 people a day, while a further 20 million to 50 million people are injured or disabled every year around the world. There are also 300, 000 deaths each year from fires.

"Emergency care is developing more than any other specialty all around the world. This includes emergency care both inside and outside hospitals. The expectations have changed; the responsibility of the governments and the health care providers has also changed. All around the world the public is put at the centre of health care. A lot of expertise, resources and investments have been put in to meet emergency situations. In Qatar, we have mobile emergency units which are activated quickly in times of need. Different risk management courses for the key staff are conducted during set times of the year. They are expected to lead the groups in case of an emergency. Our staff is sent abroad to emergency areas in Gaza and Lebanon to get fist-hand experience of traumatic situations. We are well equipped for any challenge," he said