Khalid Tawalbeh
Doha
With Qatar inching towards hosting the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, the healthcare sector is now fully prepared to support the country’s efforts to host the tournament by providing a comprehensive and diversified set of healthcare services.
Qatar’s hosting of major international sporting events such as the 2006 Asian Games, the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup, 2019 World Athletics Championships, and the FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2021, has given the country the expertise to host a safe, secure and healthy World Cup. The healthcare teams gained great experience in dealing with events through their participation in them, which makes them ready and capable of dealing with the medical requirements of the upcoming global event throughout the tournament.
In light of the expectations that huge numbers of people will come to Qatar to attend the World Cup, and with tens of thousands of fans present in each stadium to watch matches and attend various events, the necessary preventive steps have been taken to avoid health threats caused by mass gatherings and ensure the safety and security of the tournament.
Chair of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Health Strategic Command Group Dr Ahmed Al Mohammed has stressed that the healthcare sector is fully prepared to support the country’s efforts to host the tournament
Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has made provisions for 100 clinics in the eight World Cup stadiums, in addition to medical clinics in fan zones and accommodation sites.
HMC’s Ambulance Service, urgent care units and emergency units are fully prepared to meet the growing demand for medical services.
Fan zones will be provided with medical teams, consisting of experienced healthcare cadres, in addition to operating medical clinics around the clock at a number of fan accommodation sites to ensure their easy access to medical services.
DrAli Ftouni, a Lebanese resident neurologist, told Qatar Tribune that organising mass gatherings in a healthy and safe manner is an important factor for restoring normal life after the pandemic.
The Ministry of Public Health has launched a new website that provides local fans and visitors with a wide range of information related to healthcare services and health tips that will be provided during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
“Healthcare teams from the Ministry of Public Health, Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Health Care Corporation, Aspetar, Sidra Medicine, Qatar Red Crescent and many others have worked and will work together in order to provide a wide range of medical and support services to fans, and organizers of the event,” Dr Ftouni added.
He highlighted that a key part of the healthcare strategy during the tournament is to enable easy access to care and reduce the need for fans to visit hospitals for non-emergency care.
“Medical clinics have been established at football stadiums, fan zones, and main accommodation sites to support this goal, run by experienced healthcare teams to ensure the provision of medical support at sites frequently visited by fans.”
The Ministry of Public Health is working with healthcare partners in Qatar to ensure easy access to medical services for football fans, as the healthcare sector in Qatar has expanded significantly in recent years, where visiting fans will be able to access world-class medical services when needed.
Dr Asmaa Merghani, a Sudanese gynaecologist, said: “The developed private healthcare sector in Qatar will play an important role in providing medical services to the visiting masses during the World Cup, as many private healthcare providers operate emergency and urgent care services 24 hours a day”.
Dr. Muhammad Jumaa, an Egyptian, praised the great health sevices Qatar is making for the World Cup, which proves the great care Qatar provides for the humanity.
“Qatar health teams don’t only provide health services but also the people inside Qatar and all the fans of the World Cup will receive periodic messages to be broadcast through multiple media platforms to guide them when there is a need, in addition to details of the medical services available throughout the tournament,” Dr Jamaa added.
He underlined the health teams’ commitment to supporting a safe and healthy tournament by issuing public health information, including food safety, full health awareness, dealing with sunlight and heat, traffic safety and infection control measures.
Qatar health organisers have divided the health services into two sections, a preventive section and a therapeutic one, the preventive is meant for health security, including the ability to inspect food delivery facilities and ensure food safety, as well as diagnosing and combating infectious diseases such as seasonal influenza and coronavirus to reduce their spread.
These two services are available within the preventive health department at the Ministry of Public Health, which means that they have sufficient experience in this field, to be able to control any infection in light of the number of people that will double during the start of the 2022 World Cup, where the reception of more than one million fans is expected.
Regarding the other section of treatment, there will be 100 clinics located at the eight World Cup stadiums in addition to clinics available in the fan zones and in the accommodation, so the medical services will be very close to the fan, and if anyone needs advanced medical service, the ambulance services will transport the patient to the nearest hospital.
HMC’s Chief Communications Officer Ali Al Khater, in a recent statement, had highlighted the readiness of Qatar to host the World Cup in a fully ready health sector.
He underscored that the growth and development of the healthcare system contributed to Qatar being in a strong position to deal with the unprecedented pressures resulting from the coronavirus pandemic such as the large numbers of fans visiting the country.
