Al Corniche Hospital hosts leading experts on maternity health

Al Corniche Hospital is owned and operated by SEHA, the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company which is responsible for the curative activities of all the public hospitals and clinics of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.

The conference's objective is to highlight current practices and innovations in maternal and neonatal health. Nearly 200 doctors and medical practitioners from across the U.A.E. will be attending. Participants will take part in discussions on a variety of issues including multiple gestations, global maternal mortality, first trimester screening, obstetric emergencies, post partum pain management, and ultra-sound facilitated spinals and epidurals.

As part of their management contract of Al Corniche Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine is sending three doctors from the Division of Maternal-Fetal-Medicine to speak at the conference. Nancy A. Hueppchen, MD is the Director of Perinatal Outreach, Jessica Bienstock, MD, MPH is the Director of the Gynaecology/Obstetrics Residency Program and Jude P. Crino, MD is the Director of Perinatal Ultrasound. These three work on the campus of Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, USA.

"We are so thrilled to have these exceptional doctors from Johns Hopkins, Mount Sinai and Hammersmith come speak to the providers of care here in the U.A.E. The topics these doctors will be covering are important to maintaining the best standards of care for the community,"

says Dr. Judy Lee, Chief Medical Officer at Al Corniche Hospital.

Also participating in the conference are Prof. Michael De Swiet, Emeritus Professor of Obstetric Medicine at Hammersmith Hospital in London, U.K and Jose CA Carvalho, MD, PhD, FANZCA, FRCPC who is Associate Professor of Anesthesia and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Toronto as well as Director of Obstetric Anesthesia at Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital.

"Being able to share knowledge from some of the top doctors in the world is a huge benefit not only for the participants from across U.A.E. but also for their patients," according to Ronald Lavater, CEO of Al Corniche Hospital. "We look forward to being able to conduct many more of these conferences in the future."

Under the management agreement signed between SEHA and Johns Hopkins Medicine International in September 2008, a Johns Hopkins management team has day-to-day oversight of Al Corniche Hospital. Knowledge transfer is one of the significant benefits of the SEHA/Johns Hopkins partnership.

Al Corniche Hospital has been supporting the women of the region through pregnancy and childbirth for over 25 years. Al Corniche Hospital is a purpose-built obstetrics and gynecology facility with 235 beds, 14 delivery suites and 50 neonatal intensive care cots. With more than 10,000 births a year, Al Corniche Hospital is the busiest maternity hospital in Abu Dhabi. There are also more than 300 outpatient visits per day. Al Corniche Hospital is owned by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) and managed by Johns Hopkins Medicine International. Al Corniche has been named a 'Baby Friendly' hospital which is considered the 'gold standard' for Maternity Hospitals from the World Health Organisation and UNICEF.