QNA
Doha
The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and healthcare partners including Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Primary Healthcare Corporation (PHCC) and other key organizations in Qatar are ready to activate and deploy comprehensive major incident response plans, if needed, at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
As part of the Sport for Health partnership between MoPH and the World Health Organization (WHO), disaster management experts from WHO have been working alongside Qatari experts to support the development of the response plans.
Director of Health Emergency Department at the MoPH, Dr. Mohammed Al Hajri, said events including the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup, IAAF World Athletics Championships 2019 and the FIFA Arab Cup 2021 have enabled the healthcare sector to gain valuable experience and test its major incident response plans ahead of FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. “The healthcare sector’s major incident response plans were stringently tested in a recent mass casualty simulation exercise.”
WHO Representative to Qatar Dr Rayana Bou Haka said, “Simulating responses to health and medical emergencies is an essential component of a well-functioning and prepared emergency response
system.”
Assistant Executive Director for Events and Emergency Planning at HMC’s Ambulance Service Saleh Al Meqareh, explained the role of the Ambulance Service’s specially designed major incident response vehicles.
“Throughout the FIFA World Cup, a Mobile Command Unit and dedicated major incident response capability will be at each of the stadiums on match days which will be backed up by routine Ambulance Service support. The Command Units act as a hub for communications and relay real-time information to coordinate response plans. They function as mobile command centers through which our response plans can be activated.”
In addition to the Command Units, we will also have a Major Incident Response Vehicle at each stadium on match days. The response vehicle contains all the resources required to create a temporary field treatment area with a variety of air-conditioned tents in which patients can be treated according to their clinical acuity,” explained Al Al Meqareh.
The National Healthcare Incident Command Center (NHICC) at HMC’s Ambulance Service headquarters was established in 2020 and, in the event of a major incident, is ready to lead the coordination of the Qatar healthcare system’s response at any time.
