Dr al-Kuwari:the HMC is providing unrivalled medical care

Some of the most pressing health concerns in Qatar, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) managing director Dr Hanan al-Kuwari has said, are trauma injuries (road and work), diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases and hypertension, respiratory conditions, chronic illnesses and long-term care, and children with special needs.She said that the corporation had been providing unrivalled care to tackle all the problems.“Under the leadership of the Supreme Council of Health, the Hamad Medical Corporation and its member organisations are committed to continuous development of their services to meet the evolving needs of the society through sustainable and national capacity building approaches that bring world-class healthcare to the people of Qatar,” the HMC’s 2010 Annual Report quoted Dr al-Kuwari as saying.According to the official, in response to trauma, the HMC has established a trauma surgery programme that is undergoing accreditation from the American College of Surgeons and has been identified by the World Health Organisation in its publication Strengthening care for the injured: success stories and lessons learned from around the world – 2010 as a model for others to follow.“Changes in lifestyle trends have caused an increase in obesity, in turn leading to increased levels of type-2 diabetes and metabolic conditions,” she noted. “The HMC has one of the largest and best-established diabetes and endocrine diseases units in the region, helping manage these problems in a patient-focused manner and working towards developing a well-rounded diabetes centre in Hamad Hospital.”While acknowledging that affluence in the GCC countries was the major factor for increase in cardiovascular diseases, she said: “Our new Heart Hospital will provide state-of-the-art medical cardiac and cardio-thoracic facility intended to provide all cardio-thoracic medical and surgical services.”Dr al-Kuwari said that she hoped the collaborative research programme between the Heart Hospital, Qatar Foundation and the Advanced Cardiovascular Network (QAL) to establish and operate the Qatar Cardiovascular Research Centre would shed more light on the causes and trends in cardiovascular diseases in Qatar.Dusty weather conditions contribute to the high incidence of respiratory illnesses and the HMC has placed special attention on respiratory services and research, especially in paediatric care.Dr al-Kuwari said that the new Skilled Nursing Facility, residential care complexes and home care programmes provide specialist multi-disciplinary nursing care, including rehabilitative services, social services and personal care, to adult residents who are long-term dependent or partially dependent.She said: “We are continuously ensuring that children with special needs are cared for in the most suitable environments. The new Al Maha children’s rehabilitation unit provides a multi-disciplinary approach to caring for children with special needs.“This specialised unit is designed to provide a more child-friendly and comforting environment for long-term patients through a multidisciplinary approach.”This unit, she said, had “enabled us to transfer chronic ventilated children to more homely surroundings”.She stated the past year had seen the HMC make excellent progress towards achieving its vision to be an internationally-recognised integrated healthcare system, playing a central role in the sustainability of health in Qatar and in its quest to be acclaimed for excellence in healthcare, education and research.“The corporation has characteristics that set us apart from other public health providers in the region. We are still the only healthcare organisation outside the US to have all its hospitals receive Joint Commission International re-accreditation simultaneously,” Dr al-Kuwari said.