The first children's medical emergency conference kicked off here Thursday with the participation of hundreds of specialists and experts from Kuwait and foreign countries. The three-day conference, organized by Kuwait Health Ministry, will tackle a large array of children's medical emergency-related issues.

This conference is clear evidence on the relentless efforts to keep abreast of the latest scientific developments," Minister of Health Dr. Hilal Al-Sayer said in the opening speech of the conference, read on his behalf by Health Ministry Assistant Undersecretary for Planning and Quality Dr. Walid Falah. The conference also aims to raise upgrading qualifications of national medical staff through exchanging expertise with experts from around the globe.

For his part, the Conference Chairman and Dr. Fahad Al-Mukhaizeem said the idea of the conference, the first of its kind in Kuwait, was put on the table two years ago. "There is a severe lack of information and experience on the treatment of children in emergency situations," Al-Mukhaizeem, who doubles as head of Children Accidents Department at Mubarak Al-Kabeer Hospital, said.

Al-Mukhaizeem expected the participants to achieve great benefits from the conference. The conference brings together more than 460 doctors from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates and Qatar. The conference's agenda includes lectures and a number of workshops on the children care in emergencies. --- KUNA