Ambulance Service
Each year HMC’s Ambulance Service receives more than 250,000 calls, many of which request emergency support for life-threatening incidents. The Ambulance Service teams are quickly dispatched to assist the injured patient using the most appropriate fleet vehicle: air ambulances (helicopters), advanced road ambulances and rapid response vehicles, 4x4s for the desert, and bicycle units for Qatar’s parks. The helicopters ensure air ambulance coverage even in the most remote areas of the country. The pilots of the helicopters are from the Qatar Emiri Air Force (QEAF).
The Ambulance Service’s Medical Communication Center was named the Middle East’s first Accredited Center of Excellence by the International Academy of Emergency Dispatch for its high level of commitment towards delivering safe and efficient healthcare in Qatar and the region. The service itself has been accredited three times by the Joint Commission International for quality and safety, and the LifeFlight service has also been accredited by the European Aeromedical Institute for both adult and paediatric critical care.
The Mobile Healthcare Service, launched in 2015, provides senior physician support and nursing care to patients outside the hospital setting. The service works in collaboration with the Home Healthcare Service, responding to urgent calls and supporting clinical teams in delivering care to patients in their homes. MHS doctors support early discharge by working with the hospital’s medical teams to identify patients who are able to go home but might still need support. The programme reduces the length of stay of many patients by providing extra support following discharge from the hospital.
‘Know the 5 to save a life’ campaign
In order for the Ambulance Service to provide the best possible support quickly, it is vital that members of the public follow the Know the 5 to save a life’s five key steps:
- Dial 999 immediately
- Know your location
- Answer all questions
- Follow all instructions
- Give way to ambulances
Residential and home care
Caring for partially or long-term dependent patients outside a hospital setting is of great importance. The Enaya Specialized Care Center provides services for patients with 24-hour specialist care needs, in conjunction with Hamad General Hospital and Rumailah Hospital. Continuing Care is for patients who need care outside of a hospital in specialised facilities, in the community or at home.
Dental services
Hamad Dental Services offers patients access to specialised oral and dental care at the state-of-the-art Hamad Dental Center and several other locations within HMC. This includes both routine dental exams and more complex procedures.
Mental health services
HMC plays a leading role in the delivery of care for people with a mental health illness. Guided by Qatar’s National Mental Health Strategy, HMC is working with partners in Qatar to develop a high-quality mental health system and transform the way mental illness is perceived and treated.
The strategy will drive important structural changes which allow HMC to be more focused in its delivery of community-based care, providing the people who need it with the right care, at the right time and in the most beneficial environments.
HMC has partnered with the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and Qatar’s healthcare providers on an awareness campaign to educate the public about mental health and to remove social stigma. The first Guide to Mental Health was launched in December 2019, developed by MoPH, HMC, Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), Sidra Medicine, Qatar Red Crescent and Naufar, a mental health facility that focuses on wellbeing and help for those with addiction and substance abuse.
The Mental Health Helpline has received over 43,000 calls since its inception in April 2020. The free and confidential helpline has a multilingual team which includes nurses, psychologists and psychiatrists providing support and early intervention, as well as the ability to handle more complex calls.
Extensive information regarding mental health can be found at sehanafsia.moph.gov.qa, an initiative run by MoPH to provide information to the public about wellbeing, mental health conditions and how to access services in Qatar.
For more information about mental health services, visit hamad.qa, call Nesma’ak on 16060 or the mental health helpline on 16000
Qatar Metabolic Institute
Under HMC’s Academic Health System, several educational, research and clinical institutions in Qatar have united to drive forward significant improvements in the health and disease outcomes of the Qatar population affected by diabetes, obesity and metabolic disorders. Partners include HMC, PHCC, Sidra Medicine, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Qatar University, Weill Cornell Medicine in Qatar; College of North Atlantic in Qatar, and University of Calgary in Qatar.