Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) recently started a five-month community engagement campaign to educate the public about its healthcare services and to raise awareness on important health issues.
The campaign, which began at Villagio Mall last week will continue through to February 2020 and will be rolled out across five more popular malls around the country. Bespoke mall stands will be staffed by teams from HMC, who will promote key health services through the ‘Guides to Healthcare Services in Qatar’, which were introduced last year.
The Guides, which were jointly launched in November 2018 by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), HMC, Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) and Sidra Medicine, aim to make it easier for people to access the healthcare system in Qatar and to choose the right service for their healthcare needs.
According to Ali Abdulla Al Khater, Healthcare Communications Committee Chair and Chief Communications Officer at HMC, the three Guides – for children, adults, and the elderly, explain everything that the public need to know about accessing healthcare services in Qatar, including what services each provider offers, how to get an appointment, and information on choosing the right service for their needs.
Since the launch of the Guides, more than 100,000 copies have been distributed within HMC and PHCC facilities. Videos which were promoted on social media and which highlight the key messages of the Guides have been viewed over 650,000 times.
Across the healthcare system, we have made enormous progress in recent years to expand capacity and improve the quality of services we provide to Qatar’s population. This community engagement activity aims to educate the public about our services and to ensure they are fully aware of how to access these services.’
As part of the five-month community engagement campaign, key health topics will be promoted by HMC teams at stands in popular malls around Qatar. These topics will include mental health, stroke, seasonal flu, elderly care, among others. Mental health will be highlighted this week, with teams from HMC’s mental health services talking about the importance of promoting an environment where mental health is talked about as openly as physical health.
For more information on the Guides, visit guidetohealthcare.qa.
