By Mohammed AlAhmari, PhD, RRT, CTTS, ICRC Governor for Saudi Arabia

The respiratory care department at Prince Sultan Military College of Health Sciences has welcomed Khalsa Al Siyabi, department head of Royal Hospital respiratory care services in Oman and head of RT for the Omani Ministry of Health, for her first visit to explore respiratory care services in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

During her two day visit to the Prince Sultan bachelor of science respiratory care program, she had the opportunity to meet with college officials and respiratory care faculty members, and toured all college teaching facilities.

Faculty and staff gather with Al Siyabi in the RT teaching facilities at Prince Sultan Military College for Health Sciences.

Al Siyabi and her Omani colleagues had the opportunity to spend some time in the advanced clinical simulation center as well. She and the Omani RT team learned about respiratory care curriculum development and its integration with clinical simulation.

In addition they visited the King Fahd Military Medical Complex, where they participated in a collaborative exchange and learned about respiratory care services provided in a different setting.

The following day, a special and memorable collaborative learning experience was organized by the respiratory care department at Johns Hopkins Aramco Hospital (JHAH). The Omanis had the chance to learn about respiratory care policy and procedures, educational materials, clinical protocols, and other functions provided by the department.

Al Siyabi also had a chance to tour acute and non-acute settings, and coincidently she participated in a code blue situation during the tour. The exchange visit to JHAH was a remarkable opportunity to learn more about the respiratory care profession.

As a result of the visit Al Siyabi reached an initial agreement to open opportunities for Omanis to study respiratory care at Prince Sultan Military College for Health Sciences. Additionally, there was an agreement to collaborate to improve respiratory care services in Oman. I will be assisting in that endeavor.