Dr. Majid Al Fayyad, CEO of the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC) in Riyadh, stated that robots will now be present in every operating room, marking a major advancement for the Kingdom. He emphasized that this pioneering robotic surgery initiative is the result of intensive preparatory efforts, including equipping operating rooms with the latest technologies and providing comprehensive training for staff, while maintaining a delicate balance between bold innovation and strict safety measures to ensure results that enhance patient safety.
Al Fayyad highlighted that KFSHRC is working on integrating the latest artificial intelligence applications into its medical operations to improve precision and efficiency, pushing the boundaries of innovation to unprecedented levels in the medical field and enabling the sharing of these experiences on a global scale.
In addition, the hospital has launched the first mobile ambulance unit for strokes of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa, bringing cutting-edge medical technology and clinical expertise directly to patients suffering from strokes. This innovation allows the medical team to provide immediate medical care during transport, significantly improving chances of recovery and survival while reducing long-term disabilities, with a 70% higher likelihood of restoring normal bodily functions.
The initiative aims to improve stroke outcomes and accelerate the delivery of vital care during the critical first hour after the onset of symptoms. It addresses specific challenges faced by patients in Riyadh, such as traffic congestion and prolonged transport times to hospitals, which lead to delayed access to intensive care—factors that have a crucial impact on treatment outcomes and patients' quality of life.
The stroke unit, specially equipped in an ambulance, includes a specialized medical team composed of a vascular neurologist, an intensive care nurse, an ambulance technician, and a CT technician, who facilitates imaging of brain tissues and blood vessels within the ambulance before reaching the hospital, in order to determine the cause of stroke symptoms and provide necessary medical intervention on-site.
Stroke is a major global health issue, ranked as the third leading cause of death in Saudi Arabia. It occurs due to a lack of blood flow to a part of the brain or the rupture of a blood vessel, resulting in brain damage.
Caroline Haïat
Comments