50% of surgeries at Hamad General Hospital were emergency cases

Doha: With the surgical services going through a rapid expansion, a  total of 9717 surgeries were performed in different specialities at the Hamad General Hospital (HGH)’s  General Surgery Department within the first six month of this year, said a senior official. 

Among them more than half were emergency cases, said Dr Mohamed El Akkad, Vice-Chair of Surgery and Head of General Surgery at HGH. 

The General Surgery Department deals with common surgeries including surgery of the pancreas, liver, colon, stomach and gallbladder – among others. Various conditions including acute appendicitis, gallstones, pancreatitis, intestinal obstructions, and diabetic foot infections are among the most common conditions that require urgent surgical intervention.

“The services of the  General Surgery Department are divided into two on emergency and elective basis. Emergencies represent more than 50 percent of surgeries we do. Emergency surgical services are divided into trauma and others. Trauma is dealt by a separate department. Other emergency surgeries are looked into by a special team and the patients go through multiple triaging according to their condition,” Dr. El Akkad told The Peninsula. 

“Among elective surgeries, we have the cancer surgeries and other surgeries. Always cancer cases are given priority over the other cases.   Multi deciplinary teams decide on different types of cancer surgeries. Non cancer cases go through an elective pathway and decided upon the condition of the patient,” he added. 

In January the department has conducted 1779 surgeries and 1448 until noon time of June 30.  

The expansion of HGH’s surgical services is part of an ambitious and comprehensive plan to increase capacity and revitalise the country’s largest and busiest hospital. A new surgical services facility is adjacent to the trauma and emergency centre. 

“The surgical department has seen many developments including services at the National Centre for Cancer Care and Research, the old Women’s Hospital has been transformed into a  new surgical complex and several others,” said Dr El Akkad. 

The third and final phase of the new Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) of HGH has been completed. The completion of the SICU expansion marks the final phase of the HMC’s  Operating Theatre Expansion project that began in 2013.

“Surgical and medical treatment is more complex and comprehensive. We are working hard to improve the services and opening new facilities. Collaborative efforts among all those facilities will  bring good results,” said Dr. Dr El Akkad.