Doha: Hamad Medical Corporation said that, since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, nearly 13,000 nurses have provided essential services to tens of thousands of patients across a wide spectrum of COVID-19 related healthcare sites.
Nursing teams from Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) have expertly delivered care in a wide range of settings, including at HMCs seven COVID-19 designated hospitals, PHCCs four main COVID-19 testing health centers, and numerous isolation facilities across the country.
"As vital members of interdisciplinary teams, nurses have been instrumental in providing expert counsel on a strategic level as well as effective and compassionate care at the patient bedside. This public healthcare crisis has demonstrated the amazing talent, perseverance, and willingness of our nurses to deal with the multitude of challenges and stresses they are being confronted with daily," said Mariam Al Mutawa, who is the Executive Director of Nursing at Rumailah Hospital and System Wide Incident Command Committee Nursing Lead.
"Whether it is providing critical care in the ICU and emergency departments, monitoring large numbers of individuals located in various quarantine and isolation and recovery sites, or offering preventative and psychosocial support to patients and colleagues, nurses are exemplifying the essence of quality professional and compassionate care," she added.
More than 11,000 nurses are working in hospital facilities, including the Communicable Disease Center, The Cuban Hospital, Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital, Ras Laffan Hospital, Mesaieed Hospital, and Lebsayer Hospital, and have been an important part of ensuring the availability of up to 700 critical care beds, if required.
Many nurses continue to provide important ongoing services to Qatar's population, including inpatient care for those being treated for other conditions. Others are providing home health care services and support in specialist clinics and health centers, ensuring necessary treatments are not postponed and that the health of some of the country's most vulnerable patients is not compromised.
"A further 350 nurses are actively engaged at the four dedicated test health centers operated by Primary Health Care Corporation, and more than 1,200 nurses are at the front line, assessing, triaging, swabbing, and supporting the people of Qatar in all remaining 23 health centers. Furthermore, more than 300 nurses are assigned at external sites and different quarantine facilities," said Dr. Samya Ahmad Al Abdulla, who is the Senior Consultant Family Physician and Executive Director of Operations at PHCC.
The quarantine and isolation sites across Qatar play an important role in controlling the spread of COVID-19, and nursing teams are at the forefront of service delivery in these facilities, caring for both suspected and confirmed cases. Nurses are providing general healthcare support and monitoring the condition of patients as part of a strategy designed to ensure anyone whos condition deteriorates receives urgent medical attention.
"In the face of challenging circumstances, many of our nurses have demonstrated the resilience and skills necessary to deliver high-quality care under challenging circumstances. We are proud of many of the senior Qatari nurses who have demonstrated an exemplary commitment and ability to work at the front line level, setting up systems and processes and delivering clinical care and operational leadership alongside their medical and allied health professional colleagues. We are building a cadre of local experts who will be able to help Qatar manage any potential healthcare crises in the future," said Al Mutawa.