QRC's Weqaya campaign has benefited thousands of workers in Qatar.

Doha

Qatar Red Crescent (QRC) has added 5,000 more expatriates as its target beneficiaries during the first phase of its national communicable disease prevention campaign (Weqaya).
The campaign is funded and sponsored by the Supreme Council of Health (SCH), according to QRC.
During the Eid period, a QRC medical affairs team organised a health education and psychological support festival for the visitors of Workers' Health Centres, managed and operated by QRC.
The event involved informative and training sessions about the basics of personal hygiene and infection prevention for 1,000 expatriates who visit health centres in the Industrial Area, Mamoura, Fereej Abdelaziz, and Zekreet.
The workers received useful information about the importance of applying health and personal hygiene standards, common communicable diseases and how to avoid them.
QRC noted that workers also received advice on how to protect their health against risks in the workplace such as sun strokes and heat exhaustion, as well as administering first aid for their colleagues who may suffer any such emergencies.
QRC also distributed 1,000 hygiene kits, including tooth brushes, soap, and other personal hygiene items. The recipients were trained on how to best use the items.
Co-launched in August 2013 by QRC and SCH, the three-year Weqaya campaign aims to improve health and safety among expatriate workers through educational lectures, awareness fliers, and personal hygiene kits.
Phase one consists of lectures, workshops and awareness courses for 10,000 workers from 40 companies and 21,000 visitors of health centres run by QRC and funded by SCH.
The campaign also distributed 5,000 hygiene kits, including 10,000 brochures and fliers on the most prevalent infections and health problems such as Coronavirus, Ebola virus, influenza, tuberculosis, and heat exhaustion.
This prolonged programme is inspired by QRC's commitment to social development and health promotion in the Qatari society.
“With lower disease rates particularly among workers, there will be less demand on healthcare services and fewer sick leaves. This in turn will translate into shorter absenteeism and higher productivity, contributing to the ambitious economic and social development,” QRC said in a statement.