As part of an agreement with the Ministry of Public Health and in collaboration with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC)’s Tobacco Control Centre has held a two-day train-the-trainer workshop on treating tobacco dependence.
The workshop was delivered by internationally recognised experts in tobacco control, including Dr Ahmad al-Mulla, head of the HMC Tobacco Control Centre; Dr Dongbo Fu, medical officer for Tobacco Cessation, Department for Prevention of Non-Communicable Diseases, WHO; and Dr Feras Hawari, director, Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training Programme, King Hussein Cancer Centre. 
The aim of the workshop was to educate healthcare workers about the history of tobacco control in Qatar, the epidemiology of tobacco use in the country and the important role tobacco cessation programmes play in reducing the tobacco epidemic among the adult population in the country, HMC said in a statement. The training was attended by 45 general practitioners, consultants, specialists, residents, psychologists and nurses from HMC, Primary Health Care Corporation, Qatar Petroleum, Qatar Red Crescent Society and Sidra Medicine. There were also participants from tobacco control focal points in Iraq, Oman, Madagascar and Gambia.  
As part of the workshop, participants learned different strategies to help patients quit smoking and also to coach colleagues in their smoking cessation interventions. The workshop highlighted best practices in clinical care and included the use of hands-on activities, practice sheets, role-playing and exercises.
Dr al-Mulla said the workshop was the second in a series hosted by HMC and the WHO as part of Hamad Medical Corporation’s role as a WHO Collaborating Centre. He noted that future workshops are planned in conjunction with ongoing efforts to enhance the ability of frontline healthcare providers to deliver the best quality of care to tobacco-dependent patients.
“The workshop demonstrates the important leadership role that Qatar plays in providing advanced training in the areas of tobacco control and smoking cessation. These training sessions were aimed at increasing the pool of experts in the smoking cessation field, not only here in Qatar, but also regionally and internationally,” said Dr al-Mulla.