Prominent Qatari cardiologist Dr Hajar Ahmed Hajar al-Binali has highlighted the necessity of greater awareness about cardio-vascular diseases and related issues among the country’s residents.

While interacting with journalists on the sidelines of a symposium organised by the Gulf Heart Association (GHA) on Saturday, Dr Hajar said there has been a big growth in the number of people suffering from heart related disorders over the years and it has been a major cause of death among the region’s residents.
Dr Hajar, who served as Minister of Health in Qatar for a considerably long spell until 2005 was also the founder president of the Gulf Heart Association, a chapter of which is actively involved in spreading better awareness about heart related ailments among the region’s people, particularly Qatar.
Dr Hajar said the forum has been involved in a number of activities at different levels to give better education to the people . “Besides informing residents about the importance of regular check-ups, we are also making people aware of the new developments in treating such disorders, “ said Dr Hajar while recalling some of the initiatives the GHA has taken in the last 14 years since its formation.
“No doubt, there is an increasing awareness these days among the people about the ailments and causes for cardio related diseases,” he said while highlighting that GHA focuses on the prevention of heart ailments. "We all know that prevention of such diseases is much better than curing them at a later stage," said the ex-minister.
The leading cardiologist has no doubt that the nearly five-fold rise in the country’s population in the last 15 years has also necessitated the demand for increased facilities for treating heart ailments.
While answering a question on increasing prevalence of heart disorders among the Asian expatriates, notably Indians, Dr Hajjar attributed it to their life style and food habits among other reasons. He said many expatriates are smokers and it has contributed considerably to increasing levels of their heart ailments. “Also there has been a large rise in the country’s population in the last 15 years. So increase in the number of patients is quite natural,” he said while adding that many steps have been initiated at the government level in the last one decade to improve medical facilities for effectively treating heart ailments.
The government is aware of the importance of improving facilities further and a lot of works are currently underway to expand them, including raising the number of beds.
Dr Hajar said the GHA Qatar chapter is holding a series of symposiums, workshops and researches at different levels for better awareness among the country’s residents. There has been better information among people about the effective treatment methods available in the country, especially since the opening of the Heart Hospital in Doha, he said.
While conducting workshops on the heart ailments, the members also review the shortcomings and deficiencies in the treatment methods and also discuss the challenges they come across at different levels, recalled Dr Hajar. The cardiologist said remedies for overcoming such shortcomings are found after extensive studies and researches and new information and proposals are quite often deliberated among those working in the fraternity.
The former health minister also disclosed that many of the GHA’s findings are published by leading American, British and other European journals.