Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has opened its annual clinic in the Sealine area ahead of this year’s camping season.
The opening ceremony was attended by Mohammad al-Noimi, representative of Dr Hanan al-Kuwari, HMC managing director, Ali Abdulla al-Khater, executive director of HMC’s Corporate Communications Department, and other officials.
Al-Khater said: “HMC is committed to catering to the healthcare needs of the public in the Sealine and Khor Al Udaid area through the seasonal medical clinic it operates each year.”
Al-Khater urged campers to take safety precautions when enjoying recreational activities in the area to avoid any potential injuries which could occur.
Al-Noimi said: “The initiative to operate the clinic during the camping season at Sealine area is well-aligned with HMC’s commitment to providing the best possible healthcare services to the entire population of Qatar, of which campers are an important part.”
He added: “The location of the clinic is instrumental in providing easy access to medical services for those seeking urgent treatment or first aid in case of an emergency.”
Dr Hamid Ghareeb, consultant at HMC’s Medical Administration Department and medical supervisor at the Sealine Medical Clinic said: “The clinic, which began operating last week, will be open from 3pm on Thursday until 5pm on Saturday every week.”
“The clinic is equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment and medication to treat simple injuries and emergency cases, while critical trauma cases will be transported to hospital by ambulance or the LifeFlight helicopters”, Dr Ghareeb added.
A helipad has been constructed next to the clinic to facilitate the transportation of seriously injured patients to a hospital on the LifeFlight helicopters.Ali Darwish, assistant executive director of the Ambulance Service at HMC said: “The Ambulance Service provides round-the-clock emergency services coverage in the Sealine Area.”
“We now have four ambulances in service in the Sealine area, in addition to three (4x4) emergency vehicles. Every Thursday and Friday, there are six ambulances and four (4x4) vehicles providing emergency services in the area. On Saturdays, three ambulances and three (4x4) vehicles are in full service,” al- Darwish added.
A critical care paramedic is available at all times from Thursday to Saturday.
Rashid Mubarak al-Khayyarin from the Community Police Dept. Security was also present on the occasion and highlighted that a campaign to raise public awareness of security issues in the camping areas has been launched this year.
He added that educational material and first aid kits, supplied by HMC, have also been distributed to members of the public in the camping area.
If needed, campers can contact through a hotline 33590909, dedicated for this purpose.