Muscat— The University Medical City Emergency Medicine Conference 2026, held under the theme "Reconnecting Emergency Care: Where Community Meets Critical Interventions," discusses the importance of early recognition of signs of blood clots, strokes, and poisonings, as well as responding to cardiac arrest cases and calling ambulance services. The event also reviewed the role of modern technologies and artificial intelligence in supporting response speed and improving clinical decisions.
This took place during the proceedings of the two-day conference, which commenced today, organized by the Emergency Medicine Department at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital in the University Medical City, with the participation of a number of speakers and specialists from inside and outside the Sultanate of Oman.
The scientific program of the conference includes 56 lectures and scientific presentations, as well as three debates, delivered by 63 speakers, with the participation of around 200 emergency physicians, nursing staff, paramedics, medical students, and allied health professionals, alongside 160 participants in the accompanying training programs.
Dr. Aisha Hamad Al Khamisi, Head of the Emergency Medicine Department at Sultan Qaboos University Hospital and Chairperson of the Conference Organizing Committee, affirmed that organizing the conference aims to enhance the quality of emergency care and develop medical practices through exchanging expertise, discussing scientific evidence, and reviewing the latest developments in this field, thereby contributing to providing safer, higher quality, and more compassionate care to patients.
She explained that emergency care is not limited to the speed of medical intervention, but extends to the accuracy of clinical decisions, the integration of health team efforts, and good communication, noting that the community is a partner in the emergency care system through awareness, early response, and participation in supporting critical interventions.
She pointed out that the conference offers space for learning, dialogue, reviewing medical practices, and exchanging expertise amid the rapid transformations taking place in emergency medicine, particularly in the fields of resuscitation, critical care, diagnostic technologies, and artificial intelligence applications, emphasizing the importance of employing innovation based on scientific evidence to enhance clinical judgment while preserving ethical responsibility and patient safety.
The scientific sessions address a number of specialised topics, including updates in resuscitation, post-cardiac arrest care, sepsis, cardiac, respiratory, and neurological emergencies, poisonings, trauma, and pediatric and neonatal emergencies.
The conference also discusses artificial intelligence applications in supporting clinical decisions, early detection of sepsis, and rationalizing the use of antibiotics, while highlighting issues of governance, bias, medical liability, and patient safety.
Furthermore, the conference allocates a track for emergency medicine nursing, covering topics such as triage, early assessment, and dealing with agitation and violence cases, alongside scientific tracks directed toward emergency medicine residents and paramedics, contributing to the exchange of expertise and enhancing integration among various categories of the health team.
The conference reviews 28 research abstracts distributed across three oral presentations and 25 scientific posters, with the best research submissions set to be honored at the conclusion of its proceedings.
Prior to the launch of the conference, five training workshops were organized over two days, addressing the fundamentals of Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS), pre-hospital critical interventions, Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (ECPR), post-intubation care, and management of common fractures, aiming to enhance the practical skills of participants in dealing with emergency cases.
It is worth noting that organizing the conference falls within the framework of the University Medical City's efforts to develop national competencies, elevate the quality of health services, and enhance the exchange of knowledge and specialized expertise, thereby supporting the building of an integrated health system keeping pace with scientific developments and best practices in emergency medicine.