In line with Qatar’s vision to encourage lifelong learning and sustain high standards of professional healthcare, the Qatar Council for Healthcare Practitioners (QCHP) has launched the National Continuing Medical Education/Continuing Professional Development (CME/CPD) programme.
The launch ceremony on Monday was attended by HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari and a number of other senior government officials.
The programme, set up by QCHP, the government body to regulate the healthcare practice and medical education in Qatar, gives a framework to guide all CPD providers and facilitators as well as healthcare professionals to continuously improve the knowledge, skills and competencies of its workforce.
All licensed healthcare practitioners in the country are required to take part in the CPD activities according to the policies and regulations of the Accreditation Department of QCHP. The CPD requirements are necessary for renewing the licence of the practitioners.
The CPD cycle is for two years. The healthcare practitioners need to complete and  document a minimum of 40 credits each year or 80 credits in two years.
The CPD providers and CPD activities will have to fulfil a number of  criteria set up by QCHP  to get accredited for the CPD provider status.
“This very comprehensive programme, which encompasses all healthcare professionals in the country, is designed to ensure that their practical and academic qualifications remain relevant and valid,” HE Dr al-Kuwari said.
Dr Salih Ali al-Marri, from the Ministry of Public Health, observed that the overarching outcome of the framework is to achieve a world-class workforce with up-to-date skills to ensure they deliver the highest standard of healthcare to the people of Qatar.
Dr Samar Aboulsoud, acting CEO, QCHP and chair of Qatar CPD Accreditation Committee, pointed out that the framework development process included widespread collaboration with Qatar’s leading health and education providers, practitioners and stakeholders, alongside the physicians and surgeons of Royal College of Canada.
“The outcome of this collaboration is a framework that supports best practice within the Qatar environment. CPD/CME is supporting real and tangible benefits in service delivery and has been well received by the workforce. The framework is very much a win win for all parties. Certainly the primary aim is to ensure the knowledge, competence, and performance of healthcare practitioners is upgraded to provide better quality patient care but there is also a direct benefit to the workforce.”
The National CME/CPD Programme is unique since it brings all healthcare practitioners under a single regulatory authority for CME/CPD regulation and has similar credit requirements for all licensed healthcare practitioners for renewal of their licence.

About 25,000  practitioners to be enrolled
About 25,000 healthcare practitioners working in Qatar have been brought under the National Continuing Medical Education/Continuing Professional Development (CME/CPD) programme.
“All doctors, nurses and other paramedical staff will be enrolled,” said Dr Samar Aboulsoud, acting CEO, Qatar Council for Healthcare Practitioners (QCHP) and chair of Qatar CPD Accreditation Committee.
“This will include the practitioners of Complementary Medicine too,” she explained on the sidelines of the launch of the CME/CPD programme on Monday.
QCHP launched the CME/CPD programme on Monday at a ceremony attended by HE the Minister of Public Health Dr Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari and a number of other senior government officials.