By Noimot OlayiwolaStaff Reporter
The newly-launched National Health Strategy 2011-2016 has received thumbs-up from some of the stakeholders in the health sector, who described the initiative as “a great venture”.HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser on Sunday launched the NHS document, which contains proposals for across-the-board changes in the healthcare system, and hopefully to propel the country’s health sector to a world-class level.The strategy is also expected to move the country to meet the health goals contained in the Qatar National Vision (QNV) 2030 and towards achieving the Supreme Council of Health’s National Health Vision: Caring for the Future. It is one of the 13 sector strategies that will be integrated into Qatar’s first National Development Strategy (NDS).Speaking about the NHS, Hamad Medical Corporation’s chairperson Dr Latifa al-Houty said: “It is very important to have a strategy to meet the QNV 2030, which is one of the most important things in human and social development as well as economic development. As you know, Qatar wants to be a knowledge-based economy and to do that you have to make sure that education is one of the pillars and, of course, health must be included.”Al-Houty said the NHS contained two pillars - education and research - which had been emphasised by HH Sheikha Moza.“As you cannot have good healthcare system without conducting research, you have to really develop the people that will deliver the service such as the doctors, nurses, laboratory assistants and even administrators. Also, to have a knowledge-based economy, you have to do research utilising high-tech equipment. So, for the initiative to have been launched under HH Sheikha Moza, I will say it must be an excellent one,” she added.University of Calgary dean Carolyn Bryne said of the strategy: “I have been thinking about all the work that went into the goals in that document, which means it is flexible and appropriate and so impressive. And since it was launched, I have been looking at where we help to move the strategy forward. So, one of the obvious one is growing the number of Qatari professionals.”“Other issue besides education is research around healthcare as nurses need to do research about what can work for patients.Other area is that of prevention as nurses don’t always work with people who are sick but also look after those who are well and we need to really keep them healthy, so prevention strategy is one of the things we are going to be doing soon,” she said.Supreme Council of Health’s Health Workforce Development manager Dr Fouzia al-Naimi, who was member of a committee that worked on the document said the NHS was what the country needed at this point of time.“I am so optimistic about having a national health strategy in place in the country and I happened to be one of the members who wrote the strategy. The strategy will benefits all in the country and I hope the document will be implemented as it is,” she said.While commending the leadership of the country for the initiative, Indian Doctors Club Advisory Council chairman Dr Sameer Kaladan called for the establishment of more hospitals to cope with the growing population and ease the pressure on the existing facilities.He also asked for the implementation of the national health insurance saying it should cover all workers both low-income and middle-income earners.“It is a very good thing that the country has launched a national strategy to overhaul its health system and it is obvious that the SCH is very serious and committed about the health insurance but we will love to see many cadres of the society covered such as the housemaids, drivers and the rest,” he said.Apollo Clinic consultant Dr Kishore Dhade also praised the strategy saying: “It is a good initiative, which has the people at its thrust because if people are healthy, there will be improvement in the quality of life and infrastructure as well as the growth of the country.”