Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) continued and redoubled its efforts in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic throughout this year, significantly contributing to the vaccination and prevention activities of the government, according to a statement yesterday.
QRCS stepped into 2021 with a renewed spirit and high morale, following the participation of its medical professionals, volunteers and relief workers in the National Day parade in 2020.
QRCS’ development activities in Qatar surged this year with the number of beneficiaries doubling to 128,242, including widows, orphans, patients, school students, persons with disability, and other vulnerable groups with a total budget of QR22,301,400.
Among the major projects implemented by QRCS are: Ramadan provisions, Zakat-ul-Fitr, Eid clothing, Ramadan Iftar, monthly/emergency cash assistance, food vouchers, furniture and household appliances, home repairs/maintenance and repatriation flight tickets.
The list also includes food parcels, school meals, repayment of the debts of those heavily indebted, payment of home rentals, food aid from the sacrifice ritual of Eid-al-Adha, treatment for poor patients, gifts for sick children, social care for expatriate workers, and capacity-building for penitentiary inmates, first-aid and risk reduction training for school students.
At QRCS’ Medical Affairs Division, the number of beneficiaries totalled 2,407,617 with a budget of QR315,959,395 while the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) provided medical coverage, first-aid care and ambulance service.
EMS included medical coverage at sports events under an agreement with Aspetar, 24/7 medical coverage at the premises of Nakilat and Qatar Steel, transportation of suspected Covid-19 cases to quarantine facilities, and operation of first-aid centres at Hyatt Plaza and Villaggio Mall.
The Training and Development Centre held first-aid and surface water rescue training courses for the public, as well as continuing professional development courses for medical professionals.
Health education, health awareness campaigns and lectures were also held for employees and school students, as well as distribution of informative brochures and hygiene kits. A total of 62,183 persons benefited from these activities.
Under a co-operation agreement with the Ministry of Public Health, QRCS operates four health centres and one medical commission unit for male expatriate workers and newcomers located in the Industrial Area, Mesaimeer, Fereej Abdel-Aziz and Zekreet. Year to date, these health facilities have received a total of 1,098,296 patients.
At Mekaines Motel, QRCS doctors and nurses provided medical care services for 415,049 inmates in 2021. A total of 1,059,220 Covid-19 swabs were conducted at the facility motel and two swabbing units were established at the Al-Hemailah and Fereej Abdul-Aziz Workers’ health centres.
This year also witnessed a capacity expansion of a field hospital and immediate deployment of a mobile hospital on-site after a disaster to provide EMS (preventive and treatment). It was used to support government efforts in securing the visitors of Al-Khor Carnival, totaling 2,776 persons throughout the event.
In the international stage, QRCS partnered with fellow National Societies in host countries, under the umbrella of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. It has 13 representation offices/missions in the countries most affected by natural disasters, armed conflicts and difficult economic conditions.
Since the beginning of this year, QRCS executed dozens of relief aid and development projects at a cost of QR267,052,359, for the benefit of 6,503,648 persons in 27 countries (Mali, Chad, Sudan, Gaza, Tajikistan, Yemen, Turkey, Egypt, Bangladesh, Mauritania, Afghanistan, West Bank, Somalia, Jordan, Lebanon, Iraq, Indonesia, Nepal, Kyrgyzstan, Kosovo, Albania, Mongolia, Syria, Kenya, India, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka).
As part of the medical convoy programme for 2021, QRCS deployed eight medical convoys that helped to treat 181,207 patients in Indonesia, Somalia (twice), Turkey, Iraq, Bangladesh, Gaza and the West Bank. The total budget of these medical convoys amounted to QR5,791,555.
During the year, QRCS implemented several campaigns as follows:
1. Ramadan Campaign 1442 AH: Under the slogan “Race to All That Is Good”, it launched numerous humanitarian projects for 2,540,601 beneficiaries in 22 countries.
2. Adahi Project 1442 AH: During Eid-al-Adha, QRCS launched a sacrifice project under the slogan “Qurbani Gets You Closer”, to provide sacrifice meat in co-operation with Widam, for the benefit of 29,322 persons in Qatar, Sudan, Somalia and Kenya.
3. Warm Winter Campaign 2021-2022: QRCS launched its annual campaign under the slogan "Home Feels Warm", with the aim of providing food and winterisation aid for 42,040 families, or 240,000 refugees and displaced persons in 14 countries.