Health notebook for boy. Right: Health notebook for girl.
A total of 30,000 copies of Child Health Notebook will soon be available at all government hospitals across Qatar, the Primary Healthcare Corporation (PHCC) announced yesterday.
The initiative is one of the goals featured in the National Primary Health Care Strategy 2008-2013.
The number of births in Qatar is projected to grow to 27,476 by 2025, so such a tool is important to keep health records for newborn and children born in Qatar.
The booklet, which will compile relevant information regarding the child’s health in a way accessible to the family, will be given to all children born in all public hospitals, including the Women’s Hospital, Al Wakra hospital, Al Khor hospital and Al-Dukhan hospital.
The notebook is developed by PHCC in collaboration with the Hamad Medical Corporation and the Supreme Council of Health.
In case the mother loses the booklet, it will be replaced by a vaccination green card, which can be obtained from the Mesaimeer Health Centre and a hearing and vision screen card from their corresponding health centre.
The mother must hold on to the book and take it to all well-baby clinic appointments until the child is six years old.
The Child Health Notebook contains the child’s basic data, as well as family history, vaccination, results of hearing and vision examination, among other details that will be introduced by the staff at the maternity hospital.
Since it contains all detailed information about the child’s health, the mother can take it with her whenever she visits any other health facility in Qatar like the paediatric emergencies, private clinics and hospitals and paediatric clinic at the HMC or abroad, in order to share essential information with the medical staff, as it will contribute in providing better care.
Furthermore, the mother should take the booklet during the seven visits to the well-baby clinic when the infant is two, four, six, 12, 15 and 18 months and four to six years.
During these consultations, the medical staff will take note of the baby’s growth, temperature, vaccinations, development, nutrition, vision, hearing and physical condition.
Head of Child Health section Dr Sadriya al-Kohji said Hamad Hospital’s Paediatric Department participated with PHCC staff in designing the notebook with the objective to gather all essential data about the child’s health and all important information relevant for the well-baby clinic.
“At each well-baby clinic, new information will be added to the book and, if there are any irregularities, they will be noted in the remarks section,” Dr al-Kohji said.
The notebook was designed by different committees with members including PHCC physicians, staff from the main office and also HMC paediatricians in order to review the scientific material.
Women’s Hospital Newborn Screening unit head Dr Gassan Abdo established relevant guidelines regarding the notebook - available initially in maternity hospitals - and trained the staff on implementing the procedures, while PHCC trained the staff from all health centres.
