Tribune News Network
Doha
Qatar participated in the annual meeting of the Clinical Consortium on Healthy Aging and the Global Network on Long-term Care, held by the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva, Switzerland, from December 5 to 8. Representing Qatar in this meeting was Dr Hanadi Al Hamad, deputy chief for Long-Term Care, Rehabilitation, and Geriatrics Care at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Head of WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy Ageing and Dementia. The meeting was attended by healthcare leaders and representatives from various countries worldwide. Dr Al Hamad shared her insights into the implementation of WHO’s model of care for enhancing elderly care, the Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE).
Dr Al Hamad highlighted Qatar’s commitment to international collaboration and advancement in healthcare strategies, focusing her participation on healthcare services provided to the elderly in Qatar.
Qatar has become a pioneer in the implementation of ICOPE in the Middle East under the leadership of Dr Hanadi Al Hamad, owing to the collaboration between HMC’s Geriatrics and Long-Term Care Department, Primary Health Care Corporation’s (PHCC) Health Centres, and HMC’s Information and Communication Technology Department (HICT).
During her participation in the annual meeting of the Clinical Consortium on Healthy Ageing and Global Network on Long-Term Care, Dr Al Hamad highlighted the collaborative efforts to implement the ICOPE programme for the elderly in the country. This led to the establishment of the first Integrated Care for Older People Clinic on May 8th, 2023, at Al Wajba Health Centre in partnership with PHCC, underscoring the importance of an integrated healthcare approach for Qatar’s elderly population to meet their diverse needs.
With her role as a Senior Consultant Geriatrician, Deputy Chief for Long-Term Care, Rehabilitation, and Geriatrics Care at HMC, and Head of WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy Ageing and Dementia, Dr. Hanadi Al Hamad was invited to participate in the annual meeting in Geneva to share her expertise in this field.
Dr Hanadi was also invited to be a panellist at the landmark launch of WHO’s Guideline on Chronic Primary Low Back Pain. Dr Hanadi Al Hamad contributed as an external advisor in preparing this guideline, sharing her insights and ideas on how this guideline could empower healthcare professionals in non-surgical management of chronic primary low back pain, thereby reducing the proportion of adults with chronic low back pain who experience activity limitations.
