The Syrian–Emirati Programme for Medical Readiness and Response announced the pilot opening of the “Jaheziya” Simulation Centre at the headquarters of Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Field Hospital in Syria.

The centre is an advanced, fully integrated medical training facility that utilises clinical simulation in medical education and scientific research and is the first centre of its kind accredited by the European Centre for Disaster Medicine.

The Jaheziya Syria Simulation Training Centre adds a new dimension to the services provided at Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan Field Hospital, which serves the Ghouta region and vast geographical areas of Rural Damascus, covering a population of approximately one million people.

The hospital, with a capacity of 135 beds, including 40 intensive care unit beds, is fully equipped with essential medical facilities such as radiology and CT scan services, laboratories, intensive care units, and a pharmacy.

The centre supports the Syrian Ministry of Health’s vision to deliver high-quality academic education and continuous professional training in healthcare in line with international standards and accreditations. The initiative reflects the Jaheziya Syria Programme’s commitment to expanding its educational offerings and strengthening its role as a regional hub for medical education and training.

Syrian pediatric surgeon Dr. Iyad Baath, President of the Syrian Commission for Medical Specialties, stated that simulation-based education is considered one of the most effective forms of learning. Practical experiences implemented through integration and simulation as routine activities remain deeply embedded in trainees’ minds and allow specialists to draw inspiration for excellence in all its aspects.

Emirati cardiac surgeon Dr. Adel Al-Shamry Al-Ajmi, Chief Executive Officer of the Zayed Giving Initiative, President of Emirates Doctors, and Chief Executive Officer of the UAE National Medical Readiness and Response Programme “Jaheziya”, stated that the medical training centre includes a conference and lecture hall and six specialised training units simulating emergency departments, intensive care units, operating theaters, and anesthesia units, in addition to a command and control unit for Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Field Hospital.

The centre is designed to train healthcare teams in managing various incidents and emergency cases according to the highest international standards, utilising simulation technologies, virtual reality, and artificial intelligence.

This initiative represents a first-of-its-kind platform aimed at qualifying 10,000 healthcare and non-healthcare professionals in emergency medicine, disaster medicine, intensive care, and surgery, to unify professional medical training standards across public and private hospitals in Syria.

The programme operates in line with the health systems, regulations, and directives issued by the Syrian Ministry of Health, under the supervision of Jaheziya Syria and with accreditation from the European Centre for Disaster Medicine and several American and European international training centres.

Dr. Al-Shamari explained that the opening of the training centre follows the success of a one-month pilot phase during which more than 600 physicians, nurses, and paramedics from Ministry of Health hospitals were trained. More than 20 Syrian medical leaders were also qualified as certified trainers to operate and manage the specialised medical training centre.

Dr. Asaad Sharaf Al-Din, neurosurgeon and President of Syrian Doctors, stated that during the first pilot operational phase, the Jaheziya Syria Centre successfully trained hundreds of participants through scientific lectures, workshops, and specialised training courses, in addition to live field exercises in emergency and risk medicine.

These efforts focused on refining the skills of medical personnel in handling emergency cases according to a unified, internationally accredited training curriculum, under the supervision of a teaching faculty composed of senior experts from the UAE, Syria, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Italy, and other countries, all accredited by the European Centre for Disaster Medicine and the Jaheziya Academy.