(MENAFN- The Peninsula) fazeena saleem |
The Peninsula
Doha: Hamad Medical Corporation's (HMC) main Tobacco Control Center has been seeing an increase in the number of people wanting to quit smoking each year.
The center receives smokers in all age groups from 14 to 80 years old. Patients are referred to the centre by all clinics in HMC and outside. They also accept self referral and walk-ins.
“We have seen an increase in people who intend to quit smoking. The center in Medical City treats approximately 14,000 new people each year. The Center has four branches - in Al Khor, Al Wakra, Hamad General Hospital and Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital. It sees more patients in different areas in the country. The center provides medicine at subsidised prices,” Smoking Cessation Specialist at Tobacco Control Center Dr. Ahmed Abdalla Elhassan, told The Peninsula.
The center's mission is to provide health and medical advice to the public on the dangers of tobacco use, in addition to behavioural support and counselling for smokers to help them kick the habit. The center offers new innovative services including, for the first time in Qatar, laser therapy to help people stop smoking.
Individuals who wish to quit smoking also undergo a full assessment, including a complete medical history and related evaluations, such as lung function tests. As part of the assessment, clinicians talk to patients about available treatment options, which include the most modern and effective solutions to quit smoking.
“All forms of tobacco are harmful, and there is no safe level of exposure to tobacco,” said Smoking Cessation Specialist, Dr. Muslem M. Muslem.
“We offer preventive and free tobacco cessation services which enable smokers to quit and prevents hospital admission and reduces high treatment costs of many diseases like pulmonary, heart and cancer,” he added.
As a preventive measure against tobacco use, Tobacco Control Center organises training workshop on how to reduce the prevalence of tobacco use and smoking among school students in Qatar.
The training programme was held as part of the center's efforts to prevent tobacco smoking in educational institutions and in the community in general and was dedicated to psychological counsellors, social workers, and nursing staff from several preparatory and secondary public schools across Qatar.
Tobacco Control Center also holds train-the-trainer workshop on treating tobacco dependence: The aim of the workshop is to educate healthcare workers about the history of tobacco control in Qatar, the epidemiology of tobacco use in the country, and the important role tobacco cessation programmes play in reducing the tobacco epidemic among the adult population in the country.