It has been more than a decade since emergency medicine became recognized as a specialty in the Kingdom of Bahrain. In the last fifteen years emergency medicine has widely established itself and developed rapidly in the Kingdom. The three main emergency departments are: Salmanyia Medical Complex (SMC), Royal Medical Services of Bahrain Defence Force (RMS-BDF) and King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH) are now fully equipped and operated by a majority of board certified emergency physicians.Standardized protocols, and the Central National Ambulance will be established in the near future, and the ambulances will offer both basic and advanced life support by trained nurses and paramedics.Emergency Medicine residency training programs were established in the main three hospitals in Bahrain for the Arab Board Certification initially, while currently only two hospitals, BDF hospital and KHUH are recognized as training centers for the Saudi Board Residency Program.This article will focus on many aspects related to emergency medicine in the Kingdom of Bahrain including: history of health care systems in Bahrain, hospitals and primary care, disaster management, Emergency medical services (EMS), hospital-based emergency care, training in emergency medicine and universities. We aim to present Bahrain’s past and existing emergency medicine experience, our perspective about the existing challenges faced by the specialty, and the future plans for the advancement of emergency medicine in the Kingdom.

Emergency medical services (EMS) is crucial to any healthcare system, especially in urban countries. The Kingdom of Bahrain has always strived to develop healthcare services throughout the Kingdom including EMS. Like any other country, the Kingdom has gone through several stages in the provision of EMS. This article will focus on the development of EMS in the Kingdom and its evolution from a scattered hospital-based system to a unified system, which ensures ease of access for the population and speed of delivery to the healthcare facilities. The major focus will be the most recent national project which is the National Ambulance.

Background: Worldwide, policies exist on family presence during resuscitation (FPDR), however, this is still lacking in the Gulf Corporation Countries (GCC) in general and in the Kingdom of Bahrain in particular. The aim of this study is to assess the perspectives of healthcare providers (HP) on FPDR among those working in the emergency departments (EDs) in the Kingdom. Methods: A self-administered anonymous electronic survey was collected from 146 HPs (emergency physicians and nurses) working in the three major EDs in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Besides demographic data, 18 items measuring HPs’ perceptions of FPDR were generated using the 5-point Likert scale.Results: Surveys (n= 146) from physicians and nurses were analysed (45.9% vs. 54.1%, respectively). There were significant differences between physicians and nurses in terms of personal beliefs, FPDR enhancing professional satisfaction and behaviour, and the importance of a support person and saying goodbye (p< 0.001). However, general responses demonstrated that the majority of HPs encouraged and supported FPDR, but with greater support from physicians than nurses. Conclusion: The study reflects that many HPs in EDs participated in and are familiar with FPDR, with the majority of ED physicians supporting it. Further studies should investigate the reasons for the lack of support from nurses. Results may contribute to the development of hospital ED policies that allow FPDR in the region.

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Background: Emergency physicians (EPs) are exposed to various stressors that lead to burnout, and these factors have never been examined in the emergency departments (EDs) of the Kingdom of Bahrain. The study identifies the prevalence rates and associated variables for burnout and stress among EPs in Bahrain’s EDs.Methods: A cross sectional study involving 134 EPs working in the ED for the three major tertiary hospitals completed the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI) and Stress Overload Scale-Short Form (SOS-S).Results: The survey had a response rate of 86.7% (n=116). The prevalence rate was 81.0% for personal burnout (M: 63.0, SD: 22.4; CI: 67.0% - 83.3%), 69.8% for work-related burnout (M: 60.3, SD: 21.6; CI: 60.6%- 78.0%), and 40.5% for patient-related burnout (M: 43.1, SD: 25.4; CI: 31.5% - 50.0%). Approximately 23.9% EPs were at high risk for illness. The CBI and SOS-S subscales had statistically significant correlations, illustrating that higher personal, work-related, and patient-related burnout was associated with higher personal vulnerability, event load, and stress overload. Being female, Bahraini, Chief Resident or Consultant, working >50 hours per week, taking at least one sick leave in the last year, and experiencing sleep disturbances and workplace violence were all contributing factors to higher burnout and stress levels. Conclusion: The prevalence of burnout and stress among the EPs in Bahrain is high and reflects a significant problem. Several demographic and occupational factors are closely related to burnout and stress, and need to be addressed to higher authorities in order to implement protective measures.