Minister of Public Health, HE Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, formally opened the expanded Day Care Unit at the National Center for Cancer Care and Research (NCCCR).

Minister of Public Health, HE Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari opens expanded Day Care Unit at NCCCR
 HE Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari (fourth from left) opens expanded Day Care Unit at NCCCR

She said that despite the pressure placed on the country’s healthcare system due to COVID-19 since the start of the year, they have not taken focus off other services.

The expansion of the Day Care Unit is a wonderful example of the hard work that has been done away from COVID-19 to ensure all our patients receive the highest quality care. The new Unit provides a significant expansion in capacity and offers an improved experience for all day care patients.

In addition to formally opening the expanded Day Care Unit, HE Dr Al Kuwari also visited NCCCR’s Urgent Care Unit and Outpatient Department, both have also undergone work to expand capacity and enhance services.

According to NCCCR Medical Director Dr Mohamed Salem Al Hassan, it has been a four-month journey of service improvement in NCCCR which has resulted in significant upgrades to the Urgent Care Unit, Outpatient Department, and the Day Care Unit.

He said that the Day Care Unit has greatly expanded, from 16 to 52 beds, which will positively impact the care provided to patients, most notably the chemotherapy services. He added that they also enhanced the inpatient care provision with ten new beds for Medical Oncology.

As part of the improvement programme, the Outpatient Department has seen significant transformation, as Dr Noora Al Hammadi, Deputy Medical Director and Chair of Radiation Oncology explained.

With Qatar’s population continuing to increase, we are treating more cancer patients each year. To manage, we have added three more clinics to the Outpatient Department: Pain Management and Palliative Care Clinic, Pharmacy Lead Clinic, and a Psychotherapy Clinic.

They have also significantly improved access to cancer care across Qatar through the establishment of 37 clinics outside NCCCR, in the Ambulatory Care Center, Al Wakra Hospital, Al Khor Hospital, and the Women’s Wellness and Research Center.

For updates and more information about the expanded Day Care Unit, visit hamad.qa.