Doha: A unique and comprehensive health screening programme by Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC) has screened more than 42,600 FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 workers as of August 2022. They are also registered via electronic medical records software, to provide centralized access to workers’ medical history.
This is a first-of-its-kind healthcare initiative on a major construction programme in the region, enabling more efficient healthcare data management for workers, according to the report ‘Promoting health and wellbeing among the migrant workforce – A global call to action,’ published by World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH 2022).
The electronic medical records software allows workers to have access to their own medical files (online and via smartphone app) and to share it with their medical practitioner wherever they are employed.
In 2018, SC introduced a comprehensive medical screening (CMS) programme, in partnership with the Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS), to provide a full medical examination for workers, including mental health assessment.
The goal of this programme is to detect underlying health issues at an early stage to provide effective medical treatment and optimize worker health.
“These screenings ensure that workers are fit to work before being mobilized on site, that they are well-suited for their tasks, and that they receive appropriate care plans in case of any medical issues,” said the report.
These medical screenings also proved to be pivotal in identifying high-risk workers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped the SC provide them with the necessary medical and mental health support, the report added.
One of the co-authors of the report Professor Vidya Mohamed Ali said that Qatar started its mission to enhance healthcare services for the workers before the World Cup bid and the country has progressed much since then.
She referred that 2010, QRCS had an agreement with the Ministry of Public Health to provide primary care free of charge to Qatar’s male workers who have health cards – and often, in practice, QRCS provides services to those without health cards.
“The first migrant worker clinic by Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) was opened back in 2010. So, it well before the World Cup and Qatar really had that in mind to look after the workers,” Professor Vidya told The Peninsula.
Professor Vidya is the deputy head of Centre of Metabolism and Inflammation Division of Medicine at the University College London and has been involved in research about workers’ welfare in Qatar.
She emphasized that there have been increasing calls to improve the health and welfare of low-wage migrant laborers; and FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 has attracted international media scrutiny over employment practices, but it has provided a catalyst for introducing important improvements in workers’ rights, employment conditions and access to healthcare.
“Every country almost has identical problems related to migrant workers. We are really pleased that the government here is engaged and has collaborated with International Labour Organization, the World Health organization, and many other institutions to make sure that the health and well-being of the workers are in focus, are improved and there are various things that are being done to improve them,” said Professor Vidya.
