Qatar reiterates commitment towards global health security

HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari stressed the commitment of Qatar to the international community to participate in supporting global health security and renewed the country's support for the implementation of the Global Action Plan for Patient Safety 2021-2030.
HE the Minister chaired the delegation of Qatar participating in the Fifth Global Ministerial Summit for Patient Safety in Montreux, Switzerland.
In a speech at a high-level session of the Ministerial Summit, HE Dr al-Kuwari pointed to the great importance of the WHO Framework on Quality and Patient Safety to face emergencies and adversity, which was launched in 2019, noting the contribution of Qatar to the development of this framework by organising an accompanying event at the 72nd session of the World Health Assembly (WHA) in May 2019 in co-operation with the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (EMRO) and 17 countries and other relevant organisations to draw global attention to the importance of the topic. Doha also hosted the second consultative meeting on the framework in December 2019.
She explained that this comes as an embodiment of the lofty values established by His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, and Qatar National Vision 2030, which emphasises that Qatar is an active and responsible member of the international community that contributes to various fields. "Patient safety is an integral part of Qatar's healthcare system, which is reflected in our National Health Strategies, and this is reflected in many programs and initiatives such as the National Patient Safety Incident Reporting and Learning System, the National Committee for Quality and Patient Safety, and the Hamad Healthcare Quality Institute. Our National Antimicrobial Control Programme has adopted a 'One Health' approach with proven antimicrobial programmes and a strict national drug policy.
HE Dr al-Kuwari pointed out that the report issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on patient safety contributed to highlighting the exacerbation of known risks related to patient safety, and identifying new risks that emerged during the pandemic, and recommended using the important report to work to fill gaps and address new risks to improve the resilience and safety of healthcare systems. She said, "Despite the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on the safety of patients, staff and the healthcare system, there have been many radical changes and positive developments in Qatar and around the world.
"During the pandemic, our health system has shown high resilience to increase its capacity, redesign infrastructure, and redirect resources to meet growing demand while retaining other essential health services."
HE the Minister continued, "Experience has taught us that building resilience in the health system is not a luxury, but an imperative. "We have learned from the pandemic that involving our community and participating in all preventive measures has been the cornerstone of all our efforts to bring about change and improve public health and its core value of social justice."
She expressed great appreciation for the role of primary care in maintaining the continuity of providing basic health services, and its contribution to achieving universal health coverage. HE Dr al-Kuwari added: "We have learned these lessons in preparing our plans for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, which have been successfully implemented, resulting in completing of one of the most outstanding football tournaments for achieving high standards and a sustainable legacy."
She also spoke about the current health risks faced by Turkey and Syria in the wake of the devastating earthquake they have been exposed to. Noting that WHO warns that the health crisis in the earthquake zone could be worse than the earthquake itself, she pointed out to the Qatari support that has been provided to the two countries, adding: "It is time to renew solidarity and unity to help these two countries in response efforts to meet the needs of people who survived the disaster."
She added that the government of Qatar continues to strengthen its effective and reliable public health system to support the entire population in the country. The health services in the country depend on a skilled national workforce, which works in public and private institutions to provide the best to services the patients.