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The Indian community in Qatar celebrated their nation's 75th Independence Day with ceremonies at various locations, including at the embassy and a number of schools. At the embassy, India’s ambassador to Qatar Dr Deepak Mittal unfurled the Indian flag in the presence of community leaders and members. He paid tribute to the Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi before the formal event started. During the event, Qatar's former deputy prime minister and minister of energy HE Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah, congratulated Indians in a video message on the occasion, and expressed appreciation for the hard work and dedication of Indian community in Qatar. Following the national anthem, Dr Mittal read excerpts from the message of Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, who congratulated fellow Indians as “it marks the beginning of the 75th year of India’s independence for which ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ is being celebrated”. In the message, the president said: “Independence Day is a festival of freedom for us. This was made possible by generations of freedom fighters; some known, many unknown.” “They made great sacrifices. Today, you and I breathe under free skies thanks to their heroic deeds,” he added. “I bow in respect to the pious memory of those brave martyrs.” “Our nation, like many others, suffered great injustices and tyranny under foreign rule. What distinguishes India, however, is that the character of our nationalist movement, led by Mahatma Gandhi, was based on the principles of truth and non-violence,” Kovind said. “He and all other national heroes provided us with an invaluable blueprint to not only liberate the nation from colonial rule, but also to rebuild it.” “Gandhiji’s struggle was for a return to Indian ethos and for human dignity,” he added. The Indian envoy, speaking at the event, highlighted the spirit of the freedom struggle and appealed to the Indian community to take the spirit to higher levels, even while away from the homeland. “Think (about it) … in 25 years, when India will be celebrating the 100th Independence Day. We all can contribute to the betterment of the community, wherever we are,” Dr Mittal said. “For Qatar and India, the environment is a priority, and we can emulate the principles of ‘Swatch Bharat Abyan’ here in Qatar by taking part in all the environmental activities in the country.” He also spoke about the activities carried out by various bodies under the embassy, and how their efforts have bolstered India’s reputation. “The leadership of Qatar has high regards for the Indian community, and they always appreciate the efforts of the community,” the envoy said. “This is a fitting tribute for the hard work of our community.” Dr Mittal also announced a number of new initiatives for members of the community to bring them closer to the embassy. During the event, the Indian Community Benevolent Forum (ICBF) handed over 75 insurance schemes to beneficiaries. The ambassador also launched a new initiative – “Bridging Generations” – a programme narrating the experiences of the pioneers of the Indian community in Qatar, who were here in the 1950s, 60,s and 70s, and connecting them with the younger members of the community. Dr Mohan Thomas, the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award winner 2021 from Qatar shared his Independence Day thoughts with *Gulf Times. He said: “As we celebrate the 75 years of freedom, we should take a moment to look back and reflect on the path our nation had travelled, becoming the forerunner that it is today and the innumerable achievements our country has made in the international scenario.” “We have made a mark for ourselves in the world and are definitely proud of it,” Dr Thomas said. “India will soon emerge in the forefront as one of the most developed nations of the world.” The event concluded with cultural programmes presented by Indian organisations.    

With Qatar Wednesday crossing the 4mn vaccine doses milestone against Covid-19, healthcare officials are urging those yet to be vaccinated to go for it at the earliest, especially some of the vulnerable groups. As of Wednesday, 4,012,536 doses of vaccine have been given since the start of the National Vaccination Campaign which was launched on December 23, 2020. The Ministry of public Health announced that a “Significant milestone reached for the National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme as the total number of doses administered passes 4 million.” A total of 21,570 doses were provided in the last 24 hours. With this 88.8% of the eligible population - 12 years and above - has received at least one dose of the vaccine, taking the vaccinated to 77% of the total population. The Ministry also urged everyone to get vaccinated at the earliest. “Thank you everyone who has taken the vaccine. If you have not yet been vaccinated, act now to protect yourself, your family and help us return to normal life. Book your vaccination appointment today,” said the MoPH message. Meanwhile Dr Najat Khenyab, National Health Strategy 2018-2022 Lead for Healthy Women Leading to Healthy Pregnancies, in a video message motivated the pregnant to get vaccinated at the earliest. Dr Khenyab noted: “ The WHO guidelines suggest that pregnant women are at higher risk of complications from the Covid virus than other women of their age. Around the world, thousands of pregnant women have taken the vaccine mainly with Pfizer and Moderna vaccines and so far no serious side effects have been reported.” “With delta variant now identified in Qatar and around the world, it is more important than ever for pregnant women to get vaccinated This variant is fast transmittable and causes more severe symptoms on those affected. So vaccination is very important for pregnant women to protect themselves and their babies, “explained, Dr Khenyab “So act now and book an appointment soon to receive Covid-19 vaccine to protect yourselves and your unborn babies from severe illness from Covid-19,” she added.    

Qatar is poised to cross a milestone of administering 4mn doses of Covid-19 vaccine today as the country has given a total of 3,990,966 doses as of Tuesday. The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) in its daily bulletin noted that 26,431 doses of vaccine have been given in the last 24 hours taking the total number of doses since the start of the campaign to just about 9,044 short of the 4mn mark. The MoPH yesterday announced that 88.3% of the eligible population has received at least one dose of vaccine. This amounts to 76.6% of the total population of the country. With the current vaccination figures, Qatar is among the leading countries in terms of vaccinating the largest percentage of the total population. The healthcare leaders are urging every eligible person to get vaccinated at the earliest with the detection of the delta variant in the country. They have also urged those who have not yet been vaccinated to go for inoculation immediately, especially the vulnerable population such as the elderly above 65, pregnant women and children aged 12-15. They have noted that these categories of people are likely to face more complications if they are affected by the virus. Though children may not face such complications, they might face long period of illness and they are likely to transmit the virus to others. The head of vaccination at MoPH, Dr Soha al- Bayat had recently said, that the vaccination campaign is focusing more on these groups as the first two groups of people can develop more complications from the virus and the children can transmit the disease faster. Earlier this week, Dr Yousef al-Maslamani, medical director of Hamad General Hospital, through a video message on the MOPH social media channel said, “ With the Covid-19 delta variant now in Qatar, like most countries around the world, it is more important than ever to get vaccinated. This variant is very contagious and spreads fast. We have vaccines which are very safe and highly effective against such variants. Therefore, it is more important than ever to get vaccinated. Your support is important, and it makes us all safe if everyone gets vaccinated at the earliest.”    

Prominent Qatar resident and leading ENT specialist Dr Mohan Thomas was presented the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award 2021 at a glittering function yesterday at the Indian Cultural Centre (ICC). Indian ambassador Dr Deepak Mittal along with Qatar's former Prime Minister and Interior Minister HE Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani presented Dr Thomas with the award. Former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy HE Abdullah bin Hamad al-Attiyah and Qatar Airways Group CEO HE Akbar al-Baker congratulated Dr Thomas through video messages screened at the function. The event was attended by a number of Qatari dignitaries who included HE Mohamed al-Rumaihi, Former Minister of Municipality and Environment; Sheikh Abdulla bin Ali al-Thani, advisor in the Amiri Diwan; Sheikh Dr Mohamed bin Hamad al-Thani, director of Public Health at the Ministry of Public Health; Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser al-Thani, former deputy director of the Traffic Department; Major Sheikh Nasser bin Abdullah al-Thani, Traffic Department; and Salem al-Jaber, former ambassador to South Africa. The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award is the highest civilian award given to non- resident Indians who have made significant contribution towards better understanding of India abroad, philanthropic and charitable work, eminence in one’s field of work, welfare of local Indian community among others. The award is generally presented by the President of India on the occasion of Pravasi Divas. However, due to the current Covid-19 pandemic situation, the award ceremony this year was held virtually on January 9. Accepting the award, Dr Thomas said: “I am deeply honoured and humbled by this award. I dedicate this award to the Indian community in Qatar as well as to my Qatari friends who were instrumental in helping me carry out several activities here in Qatar and back in India. While this award recognises my activities, it would not have been possible without the great support I received from the Indian community, Indian embassy as well as the Qatari leadership and I am immensely indebted to all of them.” Several Indian community leaders were also present on the occasion. They included some of the recipients of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award in the previous years. Dr Thomas is the 6th recipient of the award from Qatar. Speaking at the event, Dr Mittal highlighted the distinguished career of Dr Thomas in Qatar, spanning over 38 years. “He has worked tirelessly and selflessly for the community here in Qatar and in India. He has also worked for furthering the relations between Qatar and India and the presence of several dignitaries today from the Qatari fraternity is a proof of his service for both Indian and Qatari communities. It is also recognition for the Indian community in Qatar as well as a recognition of the support he has received from the leadership of Qatar.” HE al-Rumaihi said: “We congratulate Dr Thomas for this award and we consider him as one of us here in Qatar. He has served the community with high quality of medical treatment and he is a well-known person for the members of the community." HE al-Attiyah, in his video message, recollected his long association with Dr Thomas and highlighted how the community and the country benefitted from his services. ICC president P N Baburajan, while delivering the vote of thanks, highlighted the services of Dr Thomas, especially during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic situation in Qatar.    

Those violating Covid-19 protocols shall face imprisonment up to three years and a fine not exceeding QR 200,000 or any of the two, as per Decree Law No. 17 of 1990 on preventing infectious diseases, a senior official of the Ministry of Interior said on Wednesday. Lt Col Khalifa Salman al-Mamari, head of Mesaimeer Police Section, was addressing an awareness webinar organised by the Public Relations Department of the Ministry of Interior in association with the Capital Security Department. At the webinar, titled ‘Common Crimes and Offences in Expat Communities’, the official spoke about laws and penalties related to various crimes and violations. He highlighted the importance of adhering to the laws and regulations of Qatar and respecting the customs and traditions of the country. “The Covid-19 protocols include adherence to wearing mask in public places, maintaining social distance among people and work place as well as installing the Ethraz app on mobile phones. It also includes adherence to allowed number of people in a vehicle, using electronic services provided by the public and private sectors and encouraging the workers to adhere to all the instructions of the Supreme Committee for Crisis Maangement,” said Lt Col al-Mamari. The official reiterated that strikes and gatherings are not legal in the country. “Failure of some companies to pay salaries to the workers has led them to strike which is forbidden by our true religion and by legislative laws. Workers must choose legal methods to file their complaints regarding non-payment of salaries instead of gatherings and strikes. They should not depend on rumours on social media but get information from official sources,” he explained. According to the official, whoever found drunk on roads or behaving indecently can be sentenced with imprisonment for six months and a fine of up to QR3,000. A person who finds lost items must hand over the same to the owner or to a police station failing which he or she must face an imprisonment up to six months and a fine of not more than QR3,000. Any physical assault is a crime. "This can result in an imprisonment of up to15 years in case of death or permanent disability. In case of serious injuries, the penalty is up to three years of imprisonment or a fine not exceeding QR15,000. In case of theft, the penalty starts from two years of jail up to life imprisonment," he described. Issuing a cheque without sufficient balance in the account is another serious offence which is punishable by law in the country, said Lt Col al-Mamari. The penalty for this can be imprisonment of not less than three months and up to three years and a fine of not less than QR3,000 and up to QR10,000. This can also result in travel ban for the accused. Similarly, trying to commit suicide is a crime that is punishable with up to three months of imprisonment and a fine of not more than QR3,000. "Moreover, people are not allowed to sell goods without a licence and this applies to street vendors too. If anyone violates the law, the goods will be confiscated. Nobody is allowed to bring any prohibited items into the country and if anyone does so, the items will be confiscated and they will be imposed penalties," he added.    

Healthcare leaders in the country are encouraging those who are yet to be vaccinated against Covid-19 to get immunised at the earliest. ‘Play your part in enabling life to return towards normal by getting vaccinated against Covid-19 when it is your turn’ is the slogan of the initiative. They have shared encouraging messages through the social media accounts of the Ministry of Public Health to ensure that every eligible person in the country gets vaccinated so that life in the country can return to normal as early as possible. Dr Abdullatif al-Khal, chair of the National Health Strategic Group on Covid-19 and head of Infectious Diseases at Hamad Medical Corporation expressed his happiness that a large number of people have already got vaccinated. “Among our eligible population of 12 years and above, seven out of ten are fully vaccinated and eight out of ten have got at least one dose. However it is unfortunate that still there are people who are eligible for vaccine because of their age or chronic diseases who have not come forward yet to get it.” “The new variants of the virus are more contagious and serious so it is more important than ever to get vaccinated. I would ask these people to think about the way in which the virus has affected our lives negatively for more than a year and half and ask them to understand that the vaccines provide a route out of this pandemic,” he cautioned. Dr Hamad al-Romaihi, co-chairperson of the National Pandemic Preparedness Committee and director of Health Protection and Communicable Diseases at MoPH, said that one more push is needed to protect the country’s population from any future rise in cases or new variants. “The vast majority of eligible people have received at least one dose of vaccine but the evidence is clear that the more people that are vaccinated from the virus, the greater our chances of winning the long-term battle against Covid-19. If you are not vaccinated, please act now,” he advised. According to Dr Mariam AbdulMalik, managing director of Primary Health Care Corporation, 84% of people over 12 years have now received at least one dose of the vaccine but there is a small minority of people who have not vaccinated. “To ensure that Qatar’s population is as protected as possible from Covid-19, we need as many people as possible to play their part and get vaccinated. Please get vaccinated, protect yourself and your loved ones and the community,” she said. Dr Muna al-Maslamani, medical director of HMC’s Communicable Disease Center said that the widespread vaccination has helped to keep constantly the new cases low in Qatar in the recent weeks. “Clinical evidence here in Qatar shows that the vaccines are highly effective. There have been very few examples in the recent months where fully vaccinated people were admitted to hospital with Covid-19. If you are not vaccinated, please play your part in beating Covid-19, helping us return to normal life as soon as possible and making Qatar a safer place to live for you and your family,” she said.    

The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) has revised the Covid-19 travel and return policy for travellers to Qatar effective from midday on Monday, August 2. It revises the previous practice and mandates two day hotel quarantine for people travelling from six Asian countries for those got vaccinated in Qatar. Previously all such travellers were exempted from quarantine. According to the announcement published on the MoPH website, new guidelines have been issued to those travelling from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines and Sri Lanka. Among these travellers, “those vaccinated/recovering from Covid-19 in Qatar are subject to a two-day hotel quarantine and are allowed to leave the hotel on the second day if the result of the PCR test is negative. The rest of the people are subject to hotel quarantine for a period of 10 days,” said, the announcement. Qatar had done away with quarantine for those travellers who got vaccinated in the country and they had to show a negative RT PCR certificate taken within 72 hours of travel from a medical centre accredited by the local ministry of health in the country of departure. While Qatar administers Pfizer/Biontech and Moderna vaccines in the country, it has also approved AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson (one dose only) and has conditionally approved Sinopharm. Those eligible for 2 day hotel quarantine are those who have taken two doses of the vaccine in Qtarand they should have completed two after the second dose of vaccination. Meanwhile, Discover Qatar in partnership with Qatar Airways has launched the two night Welcome Home Quarantine package. Those travelling after August 2 midday, have to book the package on Discover Qatar website and get the hotel booking. “Once a booking is made, amendments are not allowed up to 14 days before the arrival date of quarantine booking including full refund. All cancellations inside 14 days are subject to 100% cancellation,” the announcement said. Furthermore it also says “if you confirm your booking within 14 days of arrival, it is non-refundable and the dates cannot be amended.” Citizens and residents of Qatar can travel abroad at any time, provided that the travel and return policy is adhered to. Qatar has classified countries in green, yellow, and red lists according to the level of risk in each country.    

* Be cautious as two highly contagious strains of the virus are still actively circulating in the community: MoPH Qatar reached another milestone in its fight against Covid-19 with over two million people receiving at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, as per the data released by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) Tuesday. Through the National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme, as many as 2,013,080 people have received at least one dose while 1,695,471 got both doses. More than 80% of people above 16 years have got at least one dose of the vaccine so far. With the National Vaccination Campaign starting in the last week of December last year, Qatar is now among the very few countries with the largest percentage of the population having been vaccinated. The data also revealed that a total of 3,708,551 doses have been given in the country until now. A total of 81% of people above 16 years have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, while 68.6% have got both doses. Further, 98.6% of people above 60 years (the most vulnerable population group) have been vaccinated with at least one dose, while 93.5% receiving both doses. Similarly, 96.2% of those above 40 years have received at least one dose and 86.3% have got the two doses. The statistics also revealed that 22,960 Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the country in the past 24 hours. Meanwhile, the MoPH reported 86 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 among the community and 60 among travellers while 96 people recovered from the virus during the past 24 hours, bringing the total number of cases recovered in the country to 223,210. Regarding the current Covid-19 status, the MoPH said: "In recent weeks, the combined impact of Covid-19 restrictions and increasing vaccination rates, and the overwhelming support of the community, has resulted in a consistent reduction in the number of new daily infections in the country. "However, it is still important to be cautious as the second wave is not yet over and there are still two highly contagious and highly virulent strains of the virus that are actively circulating in the community.” Phase 3 of the gradual lifting of restrictions began on July 9 and is part of a four-phase plan to be delivered over the coming months. The date of implementation and duration of each next phase will depend on the epidemic indicators, which rely to a great extent on the degree of compliance of community members with the current measures, restrictions and guidance by the government. "For now, it is important that people, including those who are vaccinated, continue to wear a mask as advised and maintain social distancing," MoPH stressed. "With Covid-19 still a threat to our health here in Qatar, it is important for everyone to play their role in controlling the virus by following precautionary measures," the ministry advised. These are adherence to physical distancing, avoiding close contact with others, crowded places and confined closed spaces where people congregate, wearing a face mask and washing hands regularly. People should take the Covid-19 vaccine at the earliest opportunity when their turn comes, the statement added. The ministry has also advised that anyone suffering from Covid-19 symptoms should contact the 16000 helpline immediately. This is important as the earlier the disease is detected, the easier it will be to receive the right treatment and recover from it.

Staff Reporter The World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE), a global think tank of Qatar Foundation, is currently attempting to create more non-formal learning opportunities to foster more intrinsic motivation through its Learners’ Voice programme. “The initiative, which equips fellows with self-expression skills, has been redesigned in 2021 to be a year-long series of extracurricular activities serving 45 local public middle- and high-schools from nine different schools, in a partnership with the Ministry of Education,” Aurelio Amaral, head of the Learning Ecosystems Track at WISE, said. According to Amaral, “passions can create more active and engaged learners in the long run as opportunities to learn and grow don’t need to be tied to school grounds.” He feels that there is a lot of potential for youth development beyond school borders by observing the surroundings in the neighbourhood, or by interacting with people and organisations from the communities.  Motivating students is one of the key challenges faced by school leaders from public and private schools in Qatar, based on preliminary findings from an action-research project conducted by WISE, which has surveyed over 100 public and private schools and non-formal education providers in Qatar. “To foster more engagement in school, many principals and teachers are seeking to offer a breadth of real world more opportunities outside the classroom space, which are related to the curriculum and connect to learners’ passions and interests. This includes visits to employers and cultural spaces, or – in times of Covid-19 and e-learning – virtual talks with leaders from various areas of expertise to bring an aspect of learning to life,” he noted. WISE organised a kick-off session, in March 2021 with the curriculum and delivery partners, Eidos Global and PA Qatar. According to Amaral, higher levels of engagement sparkle in particular when students use speculation and storytelling to discuss societal problems, such as examining the consequences of global warming by creating scenarios of how life in Doha would look like if the city was permanently flooded “They could explore their identities and through the lenses of their communities, for example, by analysing older and more recent portraits taken in Qatar and observing how fashion traditions in the country evolved over time; interact with role models who can nurture their aspirations,” he said. To substantiate the point, Amaral cites an example of Shaima al-Tamimi, a Qatar-based artist who  explored with the students the sub-text behind her works and those from artists from the region. The personal connection and the contextualised references helped students to see a deeper purpose in developing their own photography projects. “Through the learnings from the programme, it would be possible to collect some evidence on the contribution of non-formal learning to youth engagement in the formal education system in Qatar. The experience might as well encourage more collaboration between schools and other actors in the society – especially those who can help to nurture youth’s personal interests and stimulate the pursuit of their ambitions in the future, “he said. “In our programme and research efforts, we have been working to identify the conditions and lay the foundations to establish and maintain in Qatar effective learning ecosystems – an emerging concept which consists of effective collaboration among schools, businesses and community-based organisations to offer inclusive learning opportunities that improve motivation, bridge gaps in a community and promote social cohesion,” he said. “This, by no means, undermines the role of the formal education system. Rather it looks to capitalise on all the different learning places and assets within a community to support formal learning, and unlock the intrinsic motivation of learners. “If youth can find new sources of motivation to learn outside school – especially when they are nearby in the community – this should only benefit and enhance the overall education experience,” added Amaral.

In an effort to find a more efficient waste disposal solution and to boost food production in the country, a team of researchers from Qatar Foundation’s (QF) Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU) is exploring the means to utilise food waste and other organic matter for producing biochar, Gulf Times has learnt. The research is led by Dr Gordon McKay, professor of sustainable development at HBKU and funded by QF’s Qatar National Research Fund. Installation of a large pilot plant for the project at Education City is also expected later this year. Biochar, also known as agriculture’s black gold due to its charcoal-like appearance, adds great value to the soil. “Biochar is a charcoal-like substance that’s produced when agricultural waste, plant matter (leaves, trunks, roots), manure or other organic material is heated in a zero- or low-oxygen environment – a process known as pyrolysis,” said Dr Hamish Mackey, associate professor, College of Science and Engineering (C SE), HBKU. Preliminary studies by the group using biochar produced from local waste cabbage have been "very promising". Pot tests were done by adding biochar to sandy soil to investigate the effect of biochar on the growth of basil plants. Adding only 2% biochar resulted in the doubling of shoot height as well as the number of leaves per plant. It also reduced the uptake of aluminum – an undesired element by the plant while increasing the uptake of desirable trace metals and salts. The water retention capacity of the soil nearly doubled; this is likely to have a considerable effect on the irrigation needs of the plants.   “Two of biochar’s most valued benefits for plant growth are nutrient and water retention. When worked into the soil, biochar can prevent nutrients from leaching out and water from draining out of the soil, making biochar an effective soil amendment,” said Dr Tareq al-Ansari, assistant professor, College of Science and Engineering, HBKU. “Food waste is a major issue both in Qatar and globally. Through this project, we are laying the groundwork for a circular economy in agriculture wherein we use food waste for the regeneration of natural systems and enhanced agricultural productivity,” continued Dr al-Ansari. Biochar production is also a carbon-negative process, as it effectively reduces CO2 in the atmosphere. The waste used for making biochar would release carbon dioxide to the atmosphere if it is left to decompose naturally. Through pyrolysis, its carbon content can be transformed into a stable structure that doesn’t react to oxygen, ultimately reducing carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Because of its porous nature, biochar can improve the water retention capacity of soil, allowing plants to have more water available to them for a longer period of time. Biochar is most effective when applied to soils with poor fertility making it especially useful for plants in arid to semiarid environments, regions prone to drought, and areas with limited irrigation capabilities. “It is more important to note that not all biochars are the same. Their properties depend heavily on the production parametres such as temperature and heating rate. Similarly, their effects vary depending on the kind of soil that is being amended, maximum improvement is seen in sandy soil which is prevalent in Qatar,” said, Dr Mackey. “The next step is carrying out long-term evapotranspiration tests to estimate the loss of water from both plants and the soil after addition of biochar. This will be key in determining how much real water savings can be realised,” explained, Dr al-Ansari. The group is expecting installation of a large pilot plant at Education City this year, which will allow them to scale up the biochar production capacity and move towards field scale testing, a crucial step before commercialisation. “Field tests will be conducted over an extended period of time so we have solid data to demonstrate the effects of biochar on the soil as well as the plants and most importantly quantify potential water savings,” Dr Mackey added.    

Investment in smart technologies and Internet of Things (IoT) platforms helped Qatar avoid a full lockdown during the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic, a senior official at the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) said Wednesday. “We in Qatar had started setting up one central system for all public health facilities through Cerner, and this helped us have the entire system connected together as one unit,” he said. “This was a great help for us during the pandemic.” “We also invested more in smart monitoring systems, such as Ehteraz and other smart systems,” said Sheikh Dr Mohamed bin Hamad al-Thani, the director of the MoPH’s Public Health Department. “This investment in smart technologies helped Qatar avoid a full lockdown, which most other countries in the world had to face.” He was speaking at a panel discussion on *The Internet of Things in Health Emergencies at the Qatar Economic Forum (QEF), Powered by Bloomberg. “We were sure from the beginning that we need technology to face any situation and we had already worked on these aspects,” Sheikh Mohamed said. “The Internet of Things is one area we were very keen to invest in. This could lower the pressure on healthcare system and assured confidence in the economy during the lockdown.” “Qatar had worked out a clear policy right from the beginning to face the pandemic, and we had observed the situation keenly,” he added. “When other countries started facing the pandemic, we knew that the virus will reach us sooner or later.” “This also provided the message that the world should work together as one to make it a safe place,” he explained. The official noted that despite the Covid-19-related restrictions, the economy kept moving due to Qatar’s reliance on technology. "All our work and investment in modern technologies such as IoT and cloud computing helped us face the challenges and overcome them strongly,” Sheikh Mohamed noted. “When we started investing in these technologies, it was a very costly affair, but we are getting real benefits of this investment and the people and country are benefiting from it.” Other panelists on the discussion were GE Healthcare chief medical officer (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Dr Mathias Goyen, Fullerton Health group chief operating officer Margareta Laminto, New Frontier Health chief executive and United Family Healthcare founder Roberta Lipson, Roche Diagnostics managing director (Asia Pacific region) Lance Little, Medidata Solutions senior vice-president and general manager (Asia Pacific) Edwin Ng, and and Mohamed A Saleh, regional industry director (Health & Life Sciences) at Microsoft Middle East & Africa. The session was moderated by Rachel Chang, team leader (Asia Consumer) of Health & Media News at Bloomberg. GE Healthcare’s Dr Goyen said that the Covid-19 pandemic has been a wake-up call for the entire healthcare industry and at the same time an accelerator for the implementation of technology in healthcare and other sectors. “More hospital officials say they have progressed more in the last 10-12 months in their thinking about mobile and virtual health,” he said. “Also patients’ attitudes are changing.” “Patients do not tend to go to a provider for a physical visit if a virtual visit can solve the issue,” Dr Goyen added. “Covid-19 has also made patients’ inclinations more open to embracing new technologies. This is the momentum that we will have to carry on." “We need a real change management system and a paradigm shift,” he said. “The clinicians and people who are dealing with the new technologies should promote it internally and become agents of change.” According to Roche Diagnostics’ Little, no governments or companies alone can manage a pandemic like Covid-19. “Clinicians, academicians, technicians and all others have to come together to face such challenges,” he said. “Many healthcare systems are not resilient enough to face such health shocks. “They should examine and analyses the shortcomings in their healthcare systems and suggest the steps to prevent future external shocks to be more resilient.” “We also have to take care of non-pandemic patients, he added. “The driver of resilience is digitisation.”

The restrictions targeting those who have not yet been vaccinated against the coronavirus (Covid-19) will remain in place, as well as regular testing, until the world reaches a vaccination level where it can be said that the virus has been suppressed. This was highlighted by HE the Minister of Public Health HE Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari while speaking Wednesday at 'The Economics of Ecology and Public Health' session of the Qatar Economic Forum (QEF), Powered by Bloomberg. She stressed the importance of testing as a way to ensure the safe reopening of different businesses and economic activities. HE Dr al-Kuwari said that the level of vaccination globally has not reached the stage where "we can say that the virus has been suppressed". “Therefore, it is important to protect the community through several restrictions as well as additional tests,” she noted. “Testing, along with the prevailing restrictions, is a very safe way for opening up businesses in unvaccinated areas.” HE the Minister expressed hope that Qatar could reach herd immunity, especially given that while the coronavirus vaccine markedly limits the transmissibility of the virus, it does not eliminate it altogether. She said that the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) is still working on how things will look like post-testing and herd immunity, adding that she is optimistic regarding the prospects that most countries can reach the required level of vaccination. “We hope that the restrictions can be eased when we reach herd immunity,” HE Dr al-Kuwari said. “We have the evidence now that vaccination does significantly reduce the spread of the virus.” “We are optimistic that with most countries reaching a sufficient level of vaccination, we will see less and less testing, fewer restrictions, and more opening up of countries and economies,” she added. HE the Minister said that Qatar was keen to get safe and effective vaccines right from the early days of the pandemic. “From the outset of the pandemic, it was very clear that we need to vaccinate our population as well as the need for a global drive to vaccinate,” she said. “His Highness the Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani was very clear in his directive.” “He directed us to procure the most effective and safe vaccines,” she said. “So, we conducted a thorough study about the vaccines available, though they were in the early stages of clinical trials,” HE Dr al-Kuwari recounted. “We found that Pfizer and Moderna were both promising, as well as AstraZeneca.” “We had discussions with the pharmaceutical companies and were able to procure enough quantities of vaccines to support our population and support the global drive on vaccination,: she added. “It was also an indication that new innovative technologies are important and there needs to be a continuous drive to support innovation in the pharmaceutical and medical industries.” She added that the "bet on the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines proved to be a clever one, given they are the most effective". Replying to a question on whether the coronavirus was leaked from a lab, HE Dr al-Kuwari said that there was an investigation into the matter, following which the investigation report concluded that the virus was not leaked from the lab. She added that more details will be shared as investigations continue. As for women's empowerment in the country, HE the Minister stressed that His Highness the Amir and His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani have been the biggest supporters of women and women's education and empowerment. Qatar has one of the largest number of educated women, and there are more women graduating from universities than men. There are women working in some of the important sectors in the country, she added. (With input from Qatar News Agency)

The US and Europe need to step up the supply chain for Covid-19 vaccines, Indian Minister of External Affairs Dr S Jaishankar has stressed. He made the observation while speaking to Bloomberg’s Jeanette Rodrigues at the Qatar Economic Forum, Powered by Bloomberg on Tuesday. Jaishankar, who visited Washington recently to discuss the issue of vaccines and their raw materials, said that the US and Europe should step up the supply chain for vaccines so that India can ramp up vaccine production. “The world doesn’t have enough vaccines. The discussion with the US on vaccine was how to keep the supply chain going up, so that we can actually ramp up production of vaccines at the kind of levels that the world needs. A lot of the supply chain originates in the US as well as in Europe. The US and Europe have to step forward if India has to ramp up its own production of vaccines,” he noted. “Once we started the production of vaccines, we had obliged to supply the vaccines to our neighbours because we genuinely believe that none is safe till everyone is safe. Now, when enough raw materials are available and production picks up, we see ourselves playing a global role,” he added. Meanwhile, he noted that honouring of the written commitment between India and China is the key to keeping the relationship normal between the countries. “The India-China border issue is a challenge with two big issues. One is that the close up deployment still continues especially in Ladakh. The issue is whether China will live up to the written commitments it has made of both the countries not deploying large armed forces at the border,” Dr Jaishankar said. “The larger issue is whether we can build this relationship based on mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest,” he said. India is a member of the Quad, an informal grouping that includes the US, Australia and Japan. The minister said his country's collaboration with Quad and the border issue with China has no connection and should be viewed separately. “The Quad is a collaboration mainly focused on marine security, connectivity, education and even vaccine,” he said. The Indian minister highlighted that his country is engaged in developmental projects in as many as 62 countries. “We actually have taken up about 630 projects. More than half of them — 340 — have been completed. We have a history of connectivity and infrastructure projects in various countries. What we discussed in the G-7 countries summit recently is, it is important that there should be broad principles that such projects should be viable, transparent and should not contribute to debt and they should be environment-friendly,” he added.    

*Pearl Modern School fully operational and ready for 2021-2022 academic year   Pearl School has opened its state-of-the-art purpose-built campus, Pearl Modern School, in Umm Besher, Al Meshaf. “The school has 90 classrooms and other facilities, and can accommodate about 2,200 students. With a built-up area of 23,000sq m, Pearl Modern School has all the facilities needed for a premier modern educational institution. About QR100mn has been invested for the construction of the building,” said Sam Mathew, president of the school, at a press conference yesterday. One of the youngest CBSE-affiliated Indian schools in Qatar, Pearl School now has three campuses in the country. Pearl School had opened the doors of its first campus in 2013 in Al Thumama, followed by its second campus in West Bay. All classrooms at Pearl Modern School are equipped with multimedia facilities such as smart whiteboards with furniture specifically developed for KG, Primary and Secondary age groups. The new campus is equipped with advanced labs for chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, computer science and languages. There are two library halls with a wide collection of books. “We started construction of the campus building by the end of 2019 and it was completed in January 2021. Built within a period 15 months and during the exceptional times of Covid-19, the school has 90 well-equipped classrooms, 16 of which are specially designed for kindergarten sections. In addition, 40 rooms have been allocated for fostering creativity in art, music, dance, technological innovation such as robotics and other areas,” said Dr Mohamed Althaf, one of the directors of the school. Other features of the school are a large multipurpose auditorium, fully equipped fitness club, large indoor swimming pool, badminton court, tennis court, basketball court, football field and a spacious cafeteria. The school also has a dedicated resource centre to train and develop teachers. Pearl Modern School is fully operational and ready for the 2021-2022 academic year. “We have already admitted more than 400 students from KG to Class-XI with the capacity to accommodate more than 2,000 students. Our intention is to provide an enriching learning experience to all students, combining the importance of academics, life skills and holistic development of the students. This is the commitment of the management and teachers to parents who have entrusted us in helping to achieve their child’s full potential,” said Mathew. “The existing fee structure will be continued with no change for classes from KG to Preparatory section. We also have plans to expand our infrastructure facilities, especially for sports and games,” added Mathew. Mohamed Nizar and Ashraf Madathil, two other directors of the school board, were also present at the press conference.  

* Pearl Modern School fully operational and ready for 2021-2022 academic year   Pearl School has opened its state-of-the-art purpose-built campus, Pearl Modern School, in Umm Besher, Al Meshaf. “The school has 90 classrooms and other facilities, and can accommodate about 2,200 students. With a built-up area of 23,000sqm, Pearl Modern School has all the facilities needed for a premier modern educational institution. About QR100mn has been invested for the construction of the building,” said Sam Mathew, president of the school, at a press conference yesterday. One of the youngest CBSE-affiliated Indian schools in Qatar, Pearl School now has three campuses in the country. Pearl School had opened the doors of its first campus in 2013 in Al Thumama, followed by its second campus in West Bay. All classrooms at Pearl Modern School are equipped with multimedia facilities such as smart whiteboards with furniture specifically developed for KG, Primary and Secondary age groups. The new campus is equipped with advanced labs for chemistry, biology, physics, mathematics, computer science and languages. There are two library halls with a wide collection of books. “We started construction of the campus building by the end of 2019 and it was completed in January 2021. Built within a period 15 months and during the exceptional times of Covid-19, the school has 90 well-equipped classrooms, 16 of which are specially designed for kindergarten sections. In addition, 40 rooms have been allocated for fostering creativity in art, music, dance, technological innovation such as robotics and other areas,” said Dr Mohamed Althaf, one of the directors of the school. Other features of the school are a large multipurpose auditorium, fully equipped fitness club, large indoor swimming pool, badminton court, tennis court, basketball court, football field and a spacious cafeteria. The school also has a dedicated resource centre to train and develop teachers. Pearl Modern School is fully operational and ready for the 2021-2022 academic year. “We have already admitted more than 400 students from KG to Class XI with the capacity to accommodate more than 2,000 students. Our intention is to provide an enriching learning experience to all students, combining the importance of academics, life skills and holistic development of the students. This is the commitment of the management and teachers to parents who have entrusted us in helping to achieve their child’s full potential,” said Mathew. “The existing fee structure will be continued with no change for classes from KG to Preparatory section. We also have plans to expand our infrastructure facilities, especially for sports and games,” added Mathew. Mohamed Nizar and Ashraf Madathil, two other directors of the school board, were also present at the press conference.    

Pearl School will soon tie up with a leading Indian educational institute, Dr Mohamed Althaf, director of the school, has said. “Negotiations are going on with several institutes in India and we are about to take a decision. Several leading institutes have shown interest in collaborating with us and we have shortlisted about three institutes. The final decision will be taken very soon,” said Dr Althaf. He was speaking to the media on the sidelines of a press conference held yesterday to announce the opening of the new campus of Pearl School in Al Meshaf. “We like to develop the holistic personality of a child and have got all the infrastructure and trained staff for the same. We are also following the new national education policy advocated by the government of India. We have already incorporated many of the salient features of the new policy in our curriculum, which will help the students in a big way,” he explained. Meanwhile, Pearl School president Sam Mathew said the school will provide scholarships for deserving students. “We are planning to launch scholarships for meritorious students as well as those who cannot afford the fees. It will be up to 50% of the total tuition fee. This is part of our commitment and social responsibility to groom the next generation and provide all the support as we believe in developing the know-how with the latest advancements in technology,” he added. The newly opened Pearl Modern School is fully operational and ready for the 2021-2022 academic year.    

Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, chairperson of Education Above All ( EAA) and UN Sustainable Development Goals Advocate along with Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, the UN Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development, took part in a virtual event to celebrate the achievement of granting 10,000 scholarships to displaced youth, through a partnership between EAA’s Al Fakhoora programme and Dutch NGO, SPARK. Her Highness Sheikha Moza said at the event: “We will continue to connect quality education with meaningful employment through Education Above All and our economic empowerment foundation, Silatech. I do not want this conversation to end; rather it must be a renewed beginning. These 10,000 scholarships should serve as a road map to follow, to grant new hopes, new opportunities, and new lives to tens of thousands of other displaced youth.” During the programme which took place on the UN World Refugee Day, Her Highness Sheikha Moza and Queen Maxima interacted with some of the students who are recipients of the scholarship. The students spoke about their learning experience as well as how the scholarship helped them face the challenges during their education and beyond. EAA's Al Fakhoora programme, through Qatar Scholarship, partnered with the Dutch NGO SPARK in 2016 to provide over 7,000 higher education and empowerment scholarships to underserved Palestinian youth in the West Bank and Syrian youth, refugees and internally displaced persons in Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and Turkey. Her Highness Sheikha Moza congratulated the scholarship recipients for their inspiring and "unwavering ambition" towards continuing their education. She also called on universities, learning centres and tech companies to join in the collective responsibility of ensuring graduates of these programme are equipped to find meaningful employment and connect with the virtual and traditional job market, to empower them to contribute to their communities. Her Highness at the event spoke with three scholarship recipients, Noor Jomaa, Jouman Najjar, and Rami Farhan, through a Zoom video call, where they shared their experiences with the programme and future aspirations. Meanwhile, taking part in the virtual event, Queen Maxima emphasised the importance of education and entrepreneurship. She also spoke with two students who had received the scholarship. They shared their learning journey as well as how they benefited from the scholarship. "Education and entrepreneurship are essential for rebuilding every region affected by conflict and by establishing the possibility for growth in every country. Each scholarship awarded to young a refugee not only helps that particular person, but eventually a whole community of people and, ultimately, all of us. It is an investment in the future with a fantastic yield," said, Queen Maxima at the ceremony. Khalifa al-Kuwari, director general of the Qatar Fund for Development; Kitty van der Heijden, director general, International Cooperation, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Claudia Miller, Trust Fund manager, EU Regional Trust Fund in Response to the Syrian Crisis, European Commission, among others also spoke at the virtual event.    

*  Their company, Enavra, sells environment-friendly cutlery made from avocado seeds   Two former students of Texas A&M University at Qatar (Tamuq), a Qatar Foundation (QF) partner university, have launched an initiative to discourage the use of plastic cutlery in Qatar. Abdullah Shaat and Saoud al-Emadi, who graduated from Tamuq in 2019, have started a company called Enavra – meaning "from earth to earth" - selling environment-friendly cutlery made from the seeds of avocado. The products, which aim to discourage the use of plastic cutlery in Qatar, are available on QF’s EC Marketplace platform. Speaking about how the idea evolved, Shaat said: “We always believed that plastic cutlery should not be used in restaurants and cafes. So last year, we decided it was necessary to find biodegradable alternatives that would have a minimal impact on the environment.” “We began by investigating alternatives available in the local and global market. We tried and tested several samples over a period of months, eventually finding the perfect biodegradable product, which uses avocado seeds as the base,” he continued. The duo faced a number of challenges at the start of their venture, especially the launch of Enavra coinciding with the start of Covid-19 in the country and globally. According to al-Emadi, shipping costs were high for the products as they had to be brought in from North America. They also faced several other issues, as al-Emadi noted: “We found it very difficult to convince business owners to adopt an environment-friendly option, especially when plastic disposables are so easily available and are very cheap." “We analysed shipping methods and tried to reduce costs where possible. We have succeeded in signing contracts with many companies in Qatar. And, in the long term, we aim to manufacture the products in Qatar, which will help reduce prices further and provide more options,” he added. Al-Emadi highlighted how cutlery made from avocado seeds is an ideal alternative as it has the same texture as plastic, but breaks down within a year. At the moment, the team is importing spoons, forks and knives, but plans to provide more options such as cup covers, plates and food containers in the future. “Many cafes and restaurants have already started using the products and it is only a matter of time until we completely replace plastic,” said Shaat. Currently, 11 vendors are using the plastic alternatives sold by Enavra. “We believe that every business should take part in keeping our planet green and sustainable. We are all responsible,” said Maryam Jaber, a café owner. “We are doing our best to go green and use environment-friendly materials. The Enavra team has been a great supplier, we love their products – we are currently using their cutlery and straws. The quality is very high and our customers are happy,” added Jaber.