Qatar launches emergency, urgent care awareness drive

Qatar’s public healthcare sector providers are collaborating to deliver a national campaign to raise awareness of emergency and urgent healthcare services.
The campaign aims to highlight the wide range of emergency and urgent care services available and to help patients make the best choice for their medical care needs, a statement said Sunday.
The campaign by Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), Sidra Medicine, and Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS), will see awareness messages delivered to Qatar’s population through a wide range of channels until the end of February.
Ali Abdulla al-Khater, chair of the Supreme Committee for Healthcare Communications, said: “Qatar’s public healthcare providers deliver high-quality care and support to patients with emergency and urgent care needs across more than two million patient interactions each year.”
“The Ambulance Service and various trauma and emergency departments provide excellent care to patients with the most critical, life-threatening conditions, while the many urgent care services enable patients with urgent but non-life-threatening conditions to access the care they need quickly without adding unnecessary pressure on emergency services. We are partnering to deliver this awareness campaign to help patients make the best choice for their medical care needs as we know that choosing the right option for their care enhances patients own treatment experience and that of others,” explained, al-Khater.
Qatar’s healthcare sector has grown significantly in recent years and there are now more options for patients with emergency and urgent medical care conditions than ever before. These services are delivered across the public healthcare system:
HMC: The National Ambulance Service, seven emergency departments, five paediatric emergency centres, and the Urgent Consultation Service helpline.
PHCC: 10 Urgent Care Units providing the service for adults, and five out of the 10 providing the service for both adults and paediatrics, within its primary health centres and the Urgent Consultation Service helpline.
Sidra Medicine: Paediatric Emergency Department (Public), Paediatric Urgent Care Centre (Private) and Women’s Obstetrics Triage and Urgent Care (Private).
MoPH/QRCS: Three Urgent Care Centres.
As part of the awareness campaign, the healthcare partners have launched an emergency and urgent care website, www.whereforyourcare.qa providing details of all service options in Qatar and advice on when and how to access them.