The Qatar Medical Association discussed the efforts made by the health sector in the country to address the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and the prominent role of medical personnel working on the frontline to deal with the disease and protect the society from the risks of infection.
This came during the virtual Ghabga organised remotely by Qatar Medical Association. About 120 medical staff working in various institutions in Qatar attended the meeting.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of Qatar Medical Association Dr Abdulla al-Naimi praised the role of the medical personnel and the great efforts that they are making to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic, reviewing the role played by the association in this framework.
Dr Saad al-Kaabi, Chair of the Covid-19 System-Wide Incident Command Committee (SWICC) at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), reviewed the measures taken and health sector’s preparations to tackle the pandemic, the efforts to establish field hospitals, quarantine mechanisms, and preparations in the intensive care units.
Dr al-Kaabi touched on the strategy of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) to contain Covid-19, reduce mortality, and clinical readiness to the deal with the increased number of cases while emphasising the preservation of the elderly, explaining that this goes in parallel with the increase in examinations and investigation teams that aim to discover infection chains.
Dr Abdullatif al-Khal, Chair of the National Epidemic Preparation Committee and HMC’s Head of the Infectious Diseases Division, highlighted the available treatments for patients in Qatar and the recovery rate, hailing the professionalism of health workers, which he said was a major factor in reducing the number of deaths due to the virus, considered the lowest in the world. He said this enhances confidence in the professionalism and efficiency of the health sector in Qatar.
Dr Mohamed Salem, Medical Director of the National Centre for Cancer Care and Research (MNCCCR), member of SWICC and former president of the Qatar Medical Association, praised the efforts of the health sector, including doctors, nurses, technicians, radiologists, and ambulance crews, in addition to the investigation teams and the rest of the medical staff who assisted in light of this pandemic.
Dr Samya al-Abdulla, Executive Director of Operations at the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), talked about the PHCC’s role in combating Covid-19, referring to the designation of four specialised facilities to treat patients and suspects of infection with the virus, namely the Umm Salal, Muaither, Rawdat Al Khail, and Al Gharrafa health centres.
Dr Samya spoke about several changes to cope with the current situation, such as telephone consulting services, the delivery of medicines in co-operation with Qatar Post, and the operation of seven health centres around the clock, in addition to assigning medical staff from PHCC to different locations in the country, including 300 nursing staff, lab technicians and radiologists of PHCC joining the investigation teams.
She added that PHCC teams are present at Hamad International Airport and all the seaports in Qatar.