Reiterating its goal of selflessly serving communities, Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU), worked with Mediclinic Middle East, MBRU’s clinical affiliate, by helping the family of a newborn baby facing severe breathing problems to access its medical simulation center to perfect the insertion of a tracheostomy tube to help it breath safely.

The baby developed severe respiratory complications following premature delivery and the insertion of a tracheostomy tube was prescribed to aid in breathing safely.. MBRU’s Khalaf Ahmed Al Habtoor Medical Simulation Center, the largest facility of its kind in Dubai, opened its doors to the parents of the baby and a professional caregiver, to allow them the chance to familiarize themselves with the entire process by simulating the insertion of the tube on medical mannequins.

Through sessions at MBRU’s Medical Simulation Center, the parents of the baby and caregiver were taken through the procedure of inserting the tracheostomy tube, ensuring its correct positioning, and changing it.

Dr. Helen Strike, Head of the ICU Pediatrics Unit, Mediclinic City Hospital, and Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics, MBRU, said that she was grateful to MBRU for allowing the use of the Simulation Center to train the parents and caregiver and said that having had the chance to familiarize themselves with the procedure, they were confident of doing it on their own.

“Inserting a tracheostomy tube is a precise procedure that requires practice and training. We are thankful to MBRU and the Simulation Center’s staff for being so generous with their time and facilities in order to help the baby’s parents and caregiver practice the procedure, clarify their doubts, and offer their unstinted support to ensure that the parents and caregiver were comfortable in performing the procedure at home and in the safest possible manner,” she said.

Professor Nabil Zary, Director, Institute for Excellence in Health Professions Education, MBRU, said that the Simulation Center’s ability to recreate realistic hospital environments and simulate various medical procedures was a boon to the UAE’s medical community, allowing healthcare professionals and caregivers valuable time in perfecting complex techniques.

“Here at MBRU, serving the community through cutting-edge healthcare developments is something we take very seriously. We are very happy to be of help to  our partner, Mediclinic, and the parents of the baby, perfect the execution of an intricate medical procedure in our state-of-the-art simulation center which replicated the required environment perfectly. Simulation has two main health outcomes: patient safety and quality of care, the importance of this procedure is about safety of the baby and the quality of care that will be provided by the parents and caregiver. It allowed the parents to learn how to care for their baby by practicing on a mannequin rather than performing it on their baby, which really makes the situation a lot less stressful. We remain committed to stepping up to help communities and people in need in the UAE with our expertise and cooperation,” he said.

The Khalaf Ahmed Al Habtoor Medical Simulation Center at MBRU, spread over 34000 square feet, is a fully accredited medical education and training facility by the international Society for Simulation in Healthcare aiming to educate and enrich skills in patient care by creating a complete patient journey, ranging from pre-admission to discharge, in an authentic hospital environment. The Simulation Center allows MBRU students and the wider healthcare community to immerse themselves in various healthcare scenarios, clinical skills, training sessions, and upskilling exercises.