(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
DOHA: Highlighting the importance of providing community-based mental health care and ensuring integration with other healthcare services, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) recently hosted its fourth Annual Symposium for Community Mental Health Services in Qatar, in the presence of Minister of Public Health, H E Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari.
The event, brought together around 200 mental health experts and key stakeholders from across the region.
Dr Al Kuwari said the annual symposium provides an important platform for stakeholders to discuss a number of topical issues, including the need to balance hospital-based mental health services with community-based services. She also highlighted mental health and well-being as one of the priority areas of the National Health Strategy 2018-2022, noting its specific focus on encouraging people to speak openly about mental health conditions as part of removing the associated stigma and encouraging early treatment.
'Good mental health and well-being for the people of Qatar, supported by integrated mental health services that provide access to the right care, at the right time, in the right place, is a key tenet of the Public Health Strategy. While substantial investment has been made to provide accessible, effective, and high-quality community-based mental healthcare services, collectively we still have a significant task ahead of us. I am therefore delighted to see HMC, Primary Healthcare Corporation (PHCC), Sidra Medicine, Naufar, as well as other healthcare organizations actively participating in this event, said Dr Al Kuwari.
Mahmoud Al Raisi, Chief of HMC's Continuing Care Group, said as the main provider of specialist mental healthcare in Qatar, HMC is proud to take a key role in providing a platform for dialogue among stakeholders, particularly around the future development of integrated mental health services in Qatar.
Different segments of health professionals from both public and private sector providers, as well as patients and their families, social service workers, and representatives of community-based organizations, attended the one-day event. It included presentations on community mental health services in Qatar, the ‘Better Together' initiative, services available at Naufar and Sidra Medicine, and also featured a speaker from Ireland who detailed the modernization of mental health services in that country.
Dr Mohamed Ali Siddig Ahmed, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Director, Community Mental Health Services, emphasized the importance of the symposium in fostering partnerships among organizations and individual stakeholders across Qatar as a strategy to successfully integrating community mental healthcare with primary and secondary healthcare services.
MENAFN2204201800630000ID1096753111
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.