(From right to left) Chairman of Pediatrics and Director of PECs, HMC, Dr. Mohammed Al Amri; Chair of the Emergency Medicine Department at Sidra Medicine, Professor Khalid Al Ansari; and Executive Director of Operations at PHCC, Dr. Samya Ahmad Al Abdulla during the event yesterday. PIC: Rajan Vadakkemuriyil
Doha, Qatar: Healthcare leaders emphasised yesterday the importance of making the best choices for non-emergency medical needs and urged the public to be aware of the available services.
During a media event held for the National Healthcare Campaign ‘Where For Your Care,’ Executive Director of Media Relations, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Nayef Al Shammari said that the campaign marks the beginning of an extensive educational journey undertaken by public healthcare institutions to raise public awareness about healthcare services available for urgent and emergency cases.
“This campaign has been dedicated to raising public awareness about urgent and emergency medical services and how to access them,” he said speaking to media during the event held at Itqan Clinical Simulation and Innovation Center.
“HMC, along with the other public healthcare organisations, participates in this campaign, reflecting the commitment to educating the public about urgent and emergency healthcare services,” he added.
The joint campaign is a joint effort by Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), HMC, Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), Sidra Medicine and Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS). PHCC’s 11 health centres in Rawdat Al Khail, Al Mashaf, Al Saad, Muaither, Abu Bakr Al Siddiq, Al Sheehaniya, Al Gharafa, Al Kaaban, Um Salal, Al Ruwais, and Al Karaana provide 24×7 urgent care services.
PHCC’s Pediatric Urgent Care Service is available at health centres in Muaither, Al Ruwais, Al Mashaf, Al Saad, and Umm Slal.
“Urgent care units typically handle illnesses or injuries which require prompt attention but do not need a visit to the emergency department. Common conditions treated in urgent care units include minor injuries, respiratory infections, minor blunt trauma, cuts and lacerations, and other non-emergency medical issues,” said Executive Director of Operations at PHCC, Dr. Samya Ahmad Al Abdulla.
“For critical cases, patients are stabilized and transferred to HMC via ambulance,” she added.
Speaking to The Peninsula Dr. Eslam Hussein, Associate Consultant in the Emergency Department, at HMC, said “At times one third of the walk in patients we receive at the Emergency Department are presented with a non life threatening conditions can go to urgent care centers.”
HMC provides seven HMC Emergency Departments across Qatar 24 hours a day for serious medical cases at Hamad General Hospital Trauma and Emergency Center, The Cuban Hospital, Al Khor Hospital, Women’s Wellness and Research Center, Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital, Aisha Bint Hamad Al Attiyah Hospital, Al Wakra Hospital.
The role of HMC’s Emergency Departments is to deliver immediate medical care to patients with a critical medical emergency said Dr. Hussein, adding “…but we prioritize the patients so we are giving priority to critical cases first.”
The pediatric department at HMC has four Emergency Centers (PECs) spread across the country serving approximately 2000 emergency patients every day in Al Sadd, Al Rayyan, Airport, Daayen. PECs provide medical care for emergencies of all priority levels to patients up to 14 years of age.
According to Chairman of Pediatrics and Director of PECs, HMC, Dr. Mohammed Al Amri, PEC Al Sadd is the busiest emergency center, seeing over 55% of all patients seen across PECs.
It also has Early Emergency Discharge Clinic (EEDC) for patienst who don’t require hospital admission. “PECs stabilizes any trauma/injury cases received and transfers to Sidra Medicine,” said Dr. Al Amri. Chair of the Emergency Medicine Department at Sidra Medicine, Professor Khalid Al Ansari said that the facility is the only tertiary care pediatric hospital in the country treats children from the ages of 0 to 18 years, with severe and life-threatening injuries or illnesses.
“For medical cases we take care of priority for patients from 0 to 18 years of age and care for lower priority cases such upper respiratory infection, cough and mild asthma are paid services.
He also said that Sidra Medicine is the assigned centre for major trauma in children, and for other injuries the hospital care for children between from 0 to 18 years of age. However children over 14 years will go to HMC fractures.
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