By Joseph Varghese/Staff Reporter

Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) managing director Mariam Ali Abdulmalik has said some health centres with urgent care facilities will start working 24x7 soon.

However, replying to a query from Gulf Times, she clarified that not all health centres would be working all day and night. She said it was not the right practice in primary healthcare facilities.

“There is a possibility that some health centres that have urgent care facilities will be working day and night in the near future. We have identified five health centres, such as Al Shahaniya and Al Gharafa, which will be working day and night. They will be both inside and outside Doha,” she explained.

“It was thought about making all health centres in Doha work through the day and night. But this is not the right practice as far as primary healthcare is concerned. Even in our neighbouring countries, there is no such practice. All of them work from morning up to 6pm or 9pm, whereas we work up to 11pm,” she added.

Meanwhile, Abdulmalik pointed out that the Clinical Information System (CIS) would be implemented in all health centres and be completed by 2016.

“Implementing the CIS is an improvement to the care, quality and services provided to patients. It is already operational in three health centres. The next one will be West Bay. Before CIS is worked out, we are implementing triage in the health centres.

“Triage is a great way of identifying the priority of patients according to the nature of their disease. This will decide the priority of the case and people can be taken in for consultation accordingly,” she pointed out, adding that health centres such as Shahaniya and Wakrah will follow West Bay for the implementation of CIS this year.

The official also highlighted that the corporation was working to improve its processes in delivering services - from registration and biometrics to medical consultation, reviewers, medicines and pharmaceutical services. “The aim is to follow the best international practices to ensure quality in the administrative and clinical aspects,” she stressed.

The co-operation between PHCC and Hamad Medical Corporation, under the supervision of the Supreme Council of Health, has successfully delivered results and will ensure that Qatar’s population has received the most efficient and safe medical care, it was stressed.