The Cabinet has approved the requirements and specifications for opening complementary medicine centres in the country.
At its weekly meeting on Wednesday, the Cabinet gave its nod to a draft decision of HE the Minister of Public Health defining the requirements and specifications.
The draft decision identified complementary medicine as an addition of some special practices - involving alternative treatment - to modern medicine, the official Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.
Alternative medicine treatment is a set of skills and practices based on experience, which is used to diagnose, treat or maintain health as well as prevent physical and psychological ailments. It is different from the means of treatment used in modern medicine, which include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, etc, QNA said.
The Ministry of Public Health (formerly known as the Supreme Council of Health) had issued a notification in January this year, approving the practice of complementary medicinal treatment such as hijama/wet cupping, chiropractic, homoeopathy, ayurveda and acupuncture in the country, Gulf Times had reported.
The Qatar Council for Healthcare Practitioners later started an implementation plan to regulate complementary medicine practices in Qatar. The decision to start regulating complementary medicine was taken to provide a legal framework to ensure that the benefits of these practices could be enjoyed without unnecessary risks.
The regulatory framework standardises the complementary medicine practice so that only licensed and qualified practitioners are issued a medical licence and allowed to practise in Qatar.
After HE the Prime Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani chaired the meeting at Emiri Diwan on Wednesday, HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Mahmoud said the Cabinet also approved a draft decision of HE the Minister of Public Health on the conditions and specifications for physical therapy centres.
The meeting also welcomed the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2334, which condemns Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, and demands an immediate and complete cessation of all settlement activities as they are illegal under the international law, according to the QNA report.
The Cabinet expressed hope that the resolution would constitute a motivation and incentive for the international community to revive the peace process on the basis of international legitimacy and the Arab peace initiative, and the cessation of all Israeli violations and practices against the Palestinian people.
Further, the Cabinet reaffirmed Qatar’s firm stance in support of the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, primarily the right to establish their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet took the necessary measures to ratify an ‘encouragement and protection of mutual investments’ agreement between the governments of Qatar and Argentina.
It also reviewed some topics and took the appropriate decisions, including a draft law on the organisation of real estate registration.
OFFICIAL
