February 21, 2016,

The American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) has hosted a ceremony in which 39 students graduated from a professional development program named ‘Patient Safety and Prevention of Medical Errors’.

The course was administered by AURAK’s ‘Center for Continuing Education and Community Service’ (CCE&CS) in conjunction with the King’s Centre for Professional Development.  Among the 39 graduates were physicians, dentists, pharmacists and nurses from across the UAE.  The program was an initiative from Kuwait Hospital, Sharjah, who became the first hospital in the UAE to host this type of program, aimed at providing safer healthcare.  Dr. Ahmed Suwaidi, the hospital’s Deputy Medical Director, attended the ceremony.

The ceremony itself was held at Radisson Blu hotel in Sharjah, and was attended by AURAK President, Professor Hassan Al Alkim.  Delivering the keynote speech of the evening, Professor Al Alkim spoke of the importance of the program, given the prevalence of preventable deaths, which have occurred due to simple medical errors.  He stated that graduates now have the tools necessary “to prevent disaster, rather than to investigate why disaster happened.  This is why graduate should be very proud of their learning and the qualification that they have worked for.”

Dr. Farry Bruce Jeffrey, Vice Dean for Academic Affairs at the King’s Centre, also spoke at the event, underlining the importance of ensuring safe practice within the field of healthcare.  He also thanked Prof. Al Alkim and AURAK for the continued support during the delivery of the program and for recognizing the importance of such initiatives.

The top-performing students were awarded studentships worth up to $2000, encouraging them to pursue master’s studies in healthcare management.  One graduate, Maybelle Verzosa, expressed that she would recommend the program to all healthcare workers.  Another, Rasha Al Astal, praised the program as “work-oriented and scientifically up-to-date.”