In line with the global observance of “World No Tobacco Day 2012” on May 31, Qatar Petroleum’s medical services department conducted a health and wellness road show to highlight the range of serious health risks associated with smoking.
QP personnel at the inauguration of World No Tobacco Day 2012 programmes
Held under the patronage of HE Dr Mohamed bin Saleh al-Sada, Minister of Energy and Industry and chairman and managing director of QP, the road show was organised with the support and encouragement of Ahmad Ali Abdulla al-Mawlawi, director for administration, and with the guidance of Dr Mahmood Abdul Rahman al-Jaidah, manager, medical services at QP.
The road show was held at the TransWorld Tower, where the administration directorate and various QP departments, such as human resources, organisation and systems and corporate training, are located.
During the event, QP healthcare personnel led by Dr Nadeem Siddiqui, Dr Ahmad Latif and Dr Abdelrahman Mohgoub Ibrahim Dagig made presentations focusing on the link between smoking and health problems and on QP’s existing programmes to help smokers break the habit.
The two-hour programme, which was held in two sessions, also included screening tests and a quiz competition for all
participants.
“With smoking recognised as the leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide, our activities to mark World No Tobacco Day are in line with our continued efforts to work towards safeguarding the health of smokers and non-smokers alike,” said Dr al-Jaidah.
Consistent with its adherence to high standards in occupational health, QP implements a no-smoking policy in all its offices and facilities throughout the country. To provide assistance to employees who want to quit the habit, its medical services department has set up smoking cessation clinics covering all QP locations in Doha, Dukhan, Mesaieed Industrial City and Ras Laffan Industrial City.
In the run-up to this year’s observance of “World No Tobacco Day,” the department also conducted an information campaign which provided tips on what smokers could do to successfully break the habit.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) first established the “World No Tobacco Day” in 1987 to encourage smokers to stop smoking for at least 24 hours as well as to raise global awareness on the dangers of smoking. According to the WHO, smoking kills nearly 6mn people every year through lung cancer, heart disease, respiratory ailments and other serious diseases. The Geneva-based organisation warns that if current trends continue, tobacco use will cause the death of over eight million people worldwide annually by 2030.
As part of its year round health promotion campaign, QP’s medical services department will hold another health and wellness road show on June 4 to raise awareness on high blood pressure and to conduct hypertension screening among QP staff.
The event, entitled “healthy lifestyle – healthy blood pressure,” will be held at Al Handasa Building, which hosts the offices of the largest number of QP employees in Doha.