Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) announced the return of ‘face-to-face’ appointments for outpatient clinics, as the country gradually lifts the restrictions against COVID-19. 

As part of the gradual return to normal, HMC outpatient appointments will be conducted face-to-face with physicians in clinics. HMC, however, will continue to offer virtual clinics for some follow-up appointments or repeat prescriptions.

Patients will be contacted by Nesma’ak regardless whether their appointment is face-to-face or a virtual.

HMC Chief Medical Officer Dr Abdulla Al Ansari said it was the appropriate time to return to face-to-face appointments.

Early on in the pandemic, we made the decision to conduct outpatient appointments and other services virtually – this was essential to protect our patients, visitors and the wider public from the spread of COVID-19.

He said that measures will be in place to ensure social distancing and appropriate time between appointments. Follow-up appointments – for example for medication refills – will continue to be conducted virtually through telephone consultations.

Safety Measures in Place

All patients attending appointments in the HMC Outpatient Departments will be required to show their Ehteraz status and have their body temperature taken prior to entry. Only patients with an appointment will be admitted to HMC facilities.

If a patient is experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms on the day of the appointment, including fever or chills, shortness of breath or cough, Dr Al Ansari said they should cancel their appointment and call 16060 to reschedule.

HMC continues to offer a range of virtual services via the 16000 helpline including:

  • Medication delivery: Patients can still opt to have their medication refills delivered to their homes for a small fee to save visiting an HMC pharmacy.
  • Mental health helpline: A team of mental health professionals is available to support people experiencing stress and anxiety and other emotional distress.
  • Urgent Consultation Service: people with urgent but non-life-threatening conditions can call the service and speak to a team of doctors who can provide health-related advice and information and assess symptoms.

Related post: Qatar Health System FAQs

For updates and more information, visit hamad.qa. 

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