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Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, represented by the Department of Development and Quality, organized the event of the First World Patient Safety Day 2019 of the World Health Organization, with the aim of participating with the world in celebrating the first International Patient Safety Day; and spreading health awareness about the Patient Safety Program among various groups of society and its importance in defending patient rights And health care providers, as well as highlighting the role of decision-makers in the university hospital to make the hospital a safer environment for patients by reducing risks and taking appropriate corrective and preventive measures.

The celebration of this day was accompanied by an awareness exhibition that included many scientific posters and the hospital’s achievements in the field of patient safety. The exhibition serves as an interactive platform between health care providers, patients and their families in order to educate them about the importance of talking about any risks that may occur to them while receiving service in the health care institution. As well as, to present the World Health Organization's message this year that no one should get hurt in healthcare organizations.

Patient safety remains an equation shared by everyone, the more we expand our knowledge and practices in the areas of patient safety, the less errors occur, and this results in permanent safety and health. This event is one of the most prominent activities that seek to increase knowledge and awareness among various groups of society.

It is worth mentioning that the work in the quality and patient safety system began early in 2003, and the university hospital has made great strides in the field of quality and safety, which is represented in obtaining the platinum level for Canadian international accreditation for health care institutions since 2017, as the first health institution to obtain this level in the Sultanate, which requires the application of multiple standards in the various aspects of the service provided by the hospital in line with the hospital's educational and research mission and providing excellent healthcare.

Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, represented by the Department of Diabetes in Child Health, in cooperation with the Community Friends Group at Sultan Qaboos University, organized the second forum for diabetes children and their families under the slogan "Diabetes and the Family", in solidarity with the theme of this year's World Diabetes Day. It aims to increase awareness of the impact of diabetes on the family, and enhancing the role of the family in managing care and preventing this disease. And emphasis that a proper diet and a correct lifestyle is obligatory for all family members, not just diabetics, which is a fact that must be established in the family and the individual as well.

The exhibition accompanying the event contained a set of awareness pillars, including: the Diabetes and me, hope impress corner, the children's drawings, the diabetes and nutrition, insulin therapy corner, diabetes and technology corner, and a corner for educational and entertainment competitions for children. Dr. Hussein Al-Saffar, Consultant Diabetes and Endocrinologist, gave a lecture entitled The Future of Diabetes.

Emphasis was also placed on the importance of family support in diabetes care and its great impact in improving health outcomes for diabetics, and the importance of education and support in the field of diabetes self-management are available to all diabetics and their families to reduce the emotional impact of disease that could lead to a negative quality of life.

For example, patients who suffer the most anxiety due to the lack of support from their families have higher blood sugar levels compared to patients who do not suffer much from such stress, and people with diabetes improve their condition if they receive support from family and friends to overcome the stress of the disease.

This forum is considered an opportunity for this group of children to meet their peers from different regions of the Sultanate, to exchange experiences, forming prosperous friendships and positive skills that remain for life, and likewise for their parents, the forum included a number of educational and entertainment activities related to diabetes.

The Health Education Committee at Sultan Qaboos University organized an awareness exhibition entitled Your Step Your Health. The focus was on the importance of maintaining health through physical activity and proper nutrition, and following healthy patterns in daily life. Also, a sport day was organized targeting students to emphasize the importance of sport and types of sports that can be possible to practice during the study period.

Through the exhibition, a number of awareness-raising pillars on healthy nutrition and foods that negatively affect the health of the individual, diseases caused by malnutrition, alternative solutions to fast food, as well as the various risks of smoking, and the harmful effects of stimulants that some individuals use when exercising.

The awareness exhibition also included various tests to measure body mass, blood pressure, the level of sugar and fats in the body, and raise awareness of the importance of periodic checks.

Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, represented by the Ear, Nose and Throat Unit, Department of Surgery, organized an awareness day event on the World Hearing Day 2019, in line with the World Health Organization’s activities for preserving hearing on the World Hearing Day under the slogan “Check your hearing”

This event was organized with the aim of educating the community about the importance of hearing and its preservation, and avoiding the causes of hearing loss such as congenital anomalies, ear injury, noise and the use of various phones and headphones, as well as with the aim of increasing community awareness of problems related to hearing loss and treatment methods.

The event was accompanied by an awareness exhibition that contained a number of sections such as the Health Guidance and Information section on the health of ear and hearing, and another section on the examination of the ear by a specialized consultant, and the third section presented an interactive video presentation on the importance of hearing in Arabic and English and surgical treatment methods. And a hearing examination section by specialists in the department of physiology, the audiology department to display different and safe headphones, the department of speech therapy and hearing rehabilitation after cochlear implants, as well as a special section for games and competitions through hearing and various ear organs.

Sultan Qaboos University Hospital organized an awareness day event on epilepsy, with the aim of raising awareness in the community about this disease that affects approximately 1% of the community members and wide range of individuals of different ages ranging from newborns to old age. The event considered as a good opportunity to reach a larger number of individuals who in turn deliver health information to community members.

A number of departments at the University Hospital participated in the exhibition accompanying the event, whose work is closely related to epilepsy patients, such as the Department of Emergency Medicine, which reviewed methods of treating epilepsy patients when an epileptic seizure occurs and how to deal with it, and the Department of Radiology and Molecular Imaging, which reviewed the most important services provided to epilepsy patients, such as CT scans, magnetic and x rays. Positron emission tomography, which contributes to the detection of foci that cause epilepsy and other diseases that, may be the cause of epileptic seizures.

As well as the Department of Genetic Diseases, where it provided an overview of the genetic diseases associated with epilepsy, also the Child Health Department and the Department of Internal Medicine reviewed the services provided to these patients, general guidance on epileptic seizures, how to identify them, and the most important treatment methods and advice that patients and their families can benefit from, such as exercise, mountain climbing, etc. and other activities. As for the Physiology Department, it presented an overview of EEG and the most important methods of diagnosing this disease, such as integrated diagnosis by telemetry, which is provided to patients who need surgical intervention and the vagus nerve stimulation service.

The Department of Nutrition discussed the treatment of ketosis, which is used in the treatment of intractable cases of epilepsy, such as infantile epilepsy, and the pharmacy section presented the most important drugs used to treat epilepsy, their damages, and how to use them. Each department displayed educational and awareness posters and pamphlets aimed at introducing the symptoms that appear on patients, as well as how to first aid a person with epilepsy and how to deal with it.