HITC Holds Course on Child's Safety in Motor Vehicles

Doha, January 06 (QNA) - Selecting and fitting appropriate seats and restraint devices increases the safety of a child reduces the severity of injuries in case of motor vehicle accidents, a training course held by Hamad International Training Center (HITC) at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) highlighted. The subject of the course was 'Preventing child injuries in motor vehicle accidents through fitting appropriate car seats and restraints', HMC's Kulluna initiative for health and safety said Sunday in a media statement. The training course on how to select and fit the right car seat for a child taught participants finer aspects of international safety standards was held at HMC s Clubhouse. HITC Director Dr. Khalid A. Noor Saifeldeen said, "HITC and the Kulluna team are very proud to host such an important course in Qatar in partnership with Safekids worldwide. Research tells us that the proper use of car child restraint devices significantly reduces the number and severity of child injuries in car accidents. "The first course proved to be a big success and we intend to run the course at least twice a year to meet the expected demand particularly from cars and child car seats sellers. We also aim to attract regional and international participants. One of our objectives is to develop local instructors for the course. Participants who perform well in the course will be offered instructor training," he added. The course also included a lecture presented by Lorrie Walker, the Training Director at the International Child Safety Association who said there were many types of safety seats for children from newborns up to 10-year-olds. Selecting the appropriate chair for every child depends on his/her age and weight. According to Julia Gibson, the course coordinator, the training was attended by people from different organizations involved in child safety, including HMC and College of the North Atlantic Qatar and representatives of Toyota and Babyshop. "This course, the first of its kind in Qatar, aims at raising participants' awareness on child safety in the car or in any transportation vehicle and how safety chairs play major role in child safety," said Gibson. (QNA)