Primary Health Care Corp (PHCC)'s Managing Director Dr Mariam Ali Abdulmalik said that the National Day is an occasion to renew allegiance to His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and express gratitude and appreciation to government for its outstanding and clear efforts to keep Qatar at the forefront and at the pinnacle of excellence.
Speaking to Qatar News Agency (QNA), she added that Qatar is progressing confidently and steadily on the path of development and growth, relying on the awareness of its loyal people and their ability to innovate, create, and face challenges with determination, resilience, and confidence. She noted that National Day is a celebration of the glories of our past, the achievements of our present, and the promising future that heralds further prosperity and growth in light of the ongoing accomplishments of the nation and the successes of its people across various fields, both locally and internationally.
She said that as part of the Ministry of Public Health, PHCC is an active partner in implementing the National Health Strategy 2011-2016 and 2018-2022, and in achieving Qatar National Vision 2030.
Dr Abdulmalik added that PHCC is leading the transformation of health and well-being for Qatar's population by shifting the focus of care from a hospital-based treatment model to an enhanced preventive and health-oriented model.
She said that the corporation's new strategic plan for 2024-2030 will focus on transforming the delivery of primary healthcare services, aligning with the new Qatar National Health Strategy (2024-2030) and the National Development Strategy (2023-2030). The emphasis will be on population health, with ambitious goals set to improve health outcomes, enhance the quality and accessibility of services, and prioritize sustainability and resilience through a focus on preventive healthcare.
The PHCC managing director noted that the corporation will proactively identify and mitigate common risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, obesity, elevated blood sugar levels, and high cholesterol at early stages.
She explained that all the health challenges faced by the country in recent years, most notably the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as the intensive preparations for outstanding medical coverage during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, were transformed into remarkable achievements. Dr Abdulmalik said more than 7,500 employees operate 31 health centres across the country, including seven recovery centres serving nearly 1.8mn patients.
The new centres in Al Khor, Umm Seneem, and Al Mashaf, which were launched in September, October, and November of 2022, respectively, as well as the new Al Sadd Health Centre in March 2023, represent the latest additions. These centres provide the growing population of Qatar with greater access to services, including specialised clinics, family medicine, maternal and child health, dentistry, school health services, home care, mental health services, in addition to recovery and preventive health services and early detection for breast and bowel cancer and annual smart screenings, she noted.
She pointed out that the corporation focuses on holistic and integrated care to improve patient access to services in a timely manner and across all levels of healthcare providers. The family medicine model applied in all health centres is a key element in providing integrated and comprehensive care for individuals and families, she affirmed, adding that services are provided based on the patients' medical history and within the context of the family and community, ensuring that co-ordinated care is delivered more effectively through multidisciplinary teams at health centres near patients' places of residence. (QNA)
