The Primary Health Care Corporation celebrates a year of achievements leading Breast and Bowel Screening Programme
The Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), the main provider of primary healthcare services across the State of Qatar, has pledged to continue its drive in educating the local population about early cancer screening as it marks its first anniversary.
Celebrating 12 months after being appointed to implement the national Breast and Bowel Screening Programme, ‘Screen for Life’, initiated by the Ministry of Public Health under Qatar’s National Cancer Programme in accordance with the country’s National Health Strategy 2011-2016, PHCC has declared that it will drive further over the course of 2017.
Dr Mariam Ali Abdulmalik, Managing Director of Primary Health Care Corporation, said:
During our first year, the ‘Screen for Life’ Programme has achieved some significant milestones as part of our drive and effort to encourage a great number of people to undertake screening. I am proud of what we have accomplished so far in our mission.’
‘We started planning a wealth of engagement activities and initiatives to build on for year 2017 and I look forward to greater milestones being met in this new year.’
In recent months PHCC marked the inauguration of its third screening facility, marking the expansion of its reach to Qatar’s wider community. The screening suite in Rawdat Al Khail Health Centre follows that of the Leabaib Health Centre and Al Wakra Health Centre, which both opened earlier in 2016.
Among the key achievements marked by the programme was the launch of Qatar’s first Mobile Screening Unit. Designed to offer breast screening services, the traveling suite has been utilised during various events and promotional activities to enhance outreach work and offer screening and guidance to a multitude of communities across the country.
Facilitating enquiries and appointments, PHCC set up the ‘Screen for Life’ Call Centre, designed to not only receive calls, but also to proactively reach out to individuals to make a screening. From its start of operations in February 2016 to December 2016, the call centre made breast and bowel screening 66,209 outgoing calls, with 38,431 invited for screening. These numbers continue to grow through the dedicated efforts of our team.
Throughout the course of the year, PHCC’s ‘Screen for Life’ programme has participated in a number of lectures, conferences, and seminars through strategic partnerships with education institutes, corporate entities and government bodies. Public activation booths were also a key part of its marketing efforts with a presence within leading shopping malls and public walks or charity events.
