More than 1,400 national and international delegates are taking part in the International Conference in Emergency Medicine and Public Health that got underway at the Qatar National Convention Centre yesterday.
Jointly organised by the Supreme Council of Health (SCH) and Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), the three-day conference was inaugurated by HE the Minister of Public Health Abdullah bin Khalid al-Qahtani.
Addressing the gathering, HE al-Qahtani said that Qatar was keen to provide excellent healthcare services to the entire population of the country through its facilities.
HE al-Qahtani noted: “Qatar is working hard to provide integrated healthcare to prevent diseases and improve the health services. There is a great collaboration between the public health department and emergency medicine department to provide integrated healthcare services. Moreover, the National Health Strategy also aims at improving the health services all across the nation by focusing on prevention of diseases and improving the fitness of the individuals.”
Director of Public Health at SCH, Sheikh Dr Mohamed bin Hamad al-Thani pointed out that his department was keen on co-ordinating the health services between various healthcare organisations in the country.
He explained: “We are keen to ensure that emergency and public health departments work together to reduce the number of trauma cases. The traffic related fatalities are coming down in the country. We are the first country to identify the causes for Mers Corona Virus and take adequate measures to prevent the spread of the disease.”
Sheikh Mohamed said: “The conference will be an opportunity for mobilising more synergy for providing better healthcare and supporting the people of the country. The Qatar dietary guidelines as well as the campaign for reducing the amount of salt in the food items are other steps to reduce and prevent several life style diseases in the country.”
Sheikh Dr Hassan bin Ali al-Thani, head of Trauma and Vascular Surgery Section, HMC highlighted that emergency care is an integral part of any healthcare system. “Emergency departments serve as sites of surveillance for the community’s health. They have a greater impact not only during epidemics but also even during routine medical care. Influencing the behaviour on an individual basis can prevent exacerbation of chronic illness and reduce the risk taking behaviour to prevent injury,” he added.
The conference is taking place for the second time worldwide and for the first time in the GCC. The conference will discuss a number of topics including infectious diseases, emergency responses and medical practices during natural disasters among others. The conference will come to an end tomorrow.