Johns Hopkins Medicine have been an important partner in the development of a seamless stroke care system in Abu Dhabi, in close collaboration with the Abu Dhabi Department of Health's Critical Event Preparedness and Response Stroke Task Force, which functions through the Sheikh Khalifa Stroke Institute (SKSI). SKSI is a benevolent creation from the UAE government in memory of the late Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, former President of the UAE. The institute aims to improve stroke care by better systems implementation and innovative development of diagnostic and recovery methods.
SKSI works with partners in Abu Dhabi to develop a robust system of care that helps improve access to acute therapies and rehabilitation. Such partnerships are a significant focus to develop prevention and specialized care strategies, thereby making a meaningful difference for stroke patients in the region.
World Stroke Congress 2024: A Global Platform of Collaboration
Dr. Victor Urrutia, director of SKSI, will head a delegation of ten specialists to the WSC 2024, which is scheduled for October 23-26 at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC). The World Stroke Organization is organizing this congress to provide a global platform for experts to share their research on stroke prevention, treatment, and recovery while raising awareness about stroke as a critical health issue both locally and internationally.
Taking it from there, the new management team will meet at the congress while the Dr. Urrutia's team will give worthwhile insights for participants. There will be four SKSI nursing and therapy specialists conducting a Pre-Congress Nursing Workshop to be held on October 22 at the conference venue, this time on the advance techniques of stroke management.
Dr. Urrutia said, "Abu Dhabi and the UAE are becoming global hubs for combining international medical expertise in stroke care. At SKSI, our objective is to develop stroke treatment through global collaboration, implementation, and innovation. Cooperation with the UAE is very significant in organizing stroke care systems and certification of hospitals as stroke centers, rehabilitation, and survivor initiatives.".
Dr. Urrutia will speak at WSC on how healthcare organizations can achieve stroke certification, develop and manage telestroke networks, and the important role of interdisciplinary care in improving treatment outcomes.
Expanding Access to Stroke Care and Improving Standards
SKSI has recently evaluated capacity in six hospitals in Abu Dhabi's Al Dhafra region for stroke care, serving over 300,000 residents. The institute has also trained over 500 nurses and physicians who will ensure stroke care standards are applied consistently throughout UAE health facilities.
Such training programs serve the medical staff with crucial skills, which aid in helping the strokes regain their motor function and advance their rehabilitation. In addition, SKSI is working hard on rehabilitating higher-quality care rehabilitations available in Abu Dhabi so that more patients can achieve self-reliability and find a better quality of life.
SKSI has also played a key role in getting UAE hospitals, among them Tawam Hospital in Al Ain, certified as American Heart Association (AHA) Comprehensive Stroke Centers. In this respect, certified centers make sure that they utilize the best stroke care practices for the benefit of patients.
This way, the SKSI will keep on improving and supporting the quality of stroke care and directing the lives of all the patients spread over the entire UAE and abroad. The Sheikh Khalifa Stroke Institute takes a holistic leverage of the practices, knowledge, and research in stroke diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of Johns Hopkins Medicine. This aims to apply the most up-to-date research findings and clinical practices for better treatment of patients.
