Tribune News Network
Doha
The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) held an award ceremony to honour the participants in the accreditation of public health services in Qatar.
The MoPH has been accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board PHAB, in the USA. The awarding ceremony was organised under the sponsorship of the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and was led by Dr Salih Al Marri, assistant minister for Health Affairs and chair of the Public Health Committee.
Qatar is considered the first country in the region to receive such accreditation outside the United States. This accreditation comes as a confirmation that public health principles and guidelines in Qatar are implemented according to the best international standards.
In his opening speech, Sheikh Dr Mohamed Al Thani, Public Health Director, said: “Success requires a lot of hard work along with support. We have used both to achieve the accreditation for our public health services in Qatar and finally MoPH is accredited for five years by the ‘Public Health Accreditation Board PHAB, in USA’. Our commitment to be accredited will not end after the decision of the Board on August 18, 2022. It is for the long term. We are determined to make the accreditation requirements an integral part of our day-to-day work.”
“In its approach to ‘Public Health’, MoPH relies on a common vision with all key partners from the health and non-health sectors to ensure health and wellness for all of us in all the communities where we and our children are born and live, where we grow up, we play, we learn and study, we work and we have access to transportation and to healthcare services. Therefore, MoPH is using interventions to prevent disease, protect and promote health such as health education to help individuals protect their own health and the health of their families,” added Sheikh Dr Thani.
Dr Mariam Alabdulmalik, managing director of Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), who joined the event online, said: “It is a source of pride for Primary Health Care Corporation to have been part of the team supporting MoPH to achieve the PHAB international accreditation of public health services in Qatar. This recognition reflects our unwavering commitment to working in close partnership across the health sector to deliver high-quality healthcare services in Qatar. It is a demonstration of the national initiative to enhance the quality of care and the process in health care in Qatar and stands testament to the patient-centric approach that our services uphold.”
Dr Mounir Soussi, accreditation coordinator, said: “Since the beginning of our accreditation journey, the process has enhanced public health preparedness in Qatar, especially as we are preparing for the World Cup, by building and improving the capabilities and overall capacity of MoPH, using evidence and data to drive decisions, and enhancing credibility among all stakeholders.”
The ceremony was attended by invitees from MoPH, Hamad Medical Corporation, PHCC, Qatar University, Weill Cornell Medical Qatar, Qatar Diabetes Association, Qatar Cancer Society and members of the ‘Family Health Advisory Taskforce’ that represents the public.
