Doha: In a first of its kind of initiative in the Middle East to spread awareness on cancer related issues, the Ooredoo Cancer Awareness Centre (OCAC) has opened its door to the public.
It aims at empowering and educating the community with reliable and comprehensive information about cancer.
OCAC is an outstanding contribution from the Qatar Cancer Society (QCS) in the National Cancer Strategy for the development of people, physically and psychologically.
Ooredoo and Qatar Cancer Society pledged to build the new state-of-the-art cancer awareness centre in 2014, with Ooredoo supporting Qatar Cancer Society not only in the construction of the Centre, but also funding for the facility for a further five years in an agreement worth QR30m.
Sheikh Dr Khalid Bin Jabor Al-Thani, Chairman of Qatar Cancer Society, said; “This state-of-the-art facility is truly the meeting of two worlds. Alongside our expertise in healthcare and education, Ooredoo has provided the latest technology to help spread the message and ensure it’s heard. This facility is for everyone in Qatar and we can’t wait to see the positive impact it will have in years to come.”
Situated in the Barwa Tower two in Al Saad area the centre has classrooms, halls, an auditorium lecture hall , healthy kitchen and a library.
The centre focuses on seven segments in the community including school students, university students, people with special needs, employees of the governmental and private sectors, cancer patients, cancer survivors and health care providers inside and outside Qatar.
The centre will also train volunteers to deliver cancer awareness to the community around them, support and care cancer patients and their care giver and conduct research studies.
The centre has six different kinds awareness and training programmes.
Medical Education Programme
It is aimed at developing the skills and abilities of all healthcare professionals including physicians, researchers, radiologist, pathologist, nurses, allied health care providers, and technicians involved in cancer healthcare in Qatar, GCC, Arab region, and internationally.
The programme will cover all aspects of cancer healthcare including prevention, early detection, rapid and definitive diagnosis, treatment, ongoing care, and research.
Field training for medical science students
This programme will provide students with medicine, nursing and health science in Qatar, GCC, Arab region, and also in international level. It provides opportunity to do assessments and surveys and also to implement the results in health education planning.
Support programme for cancer patients, survivors and their families
This is to help patients to manage the physical effects of cancer treatment and also provide accurate and up to date information to them, their family members and caregivers. It also connects them with the available services and resources in the community. Importance will be given in enhancing the quality of life of patients and family members while they navigate the complexities of cancer diagnosis, treatment and survival to help them gain their role back and re-involved in the community.
Community cancer awareness programme
It is aimed at raising overall awareness among community members about cancer, dispelling fears and misconceptions about it, and empowering them with healthy life style.
Community based cancer awareness research and study programme
It is to provide database for researchers, health care professionals and policy makers to make them informed, data-driven decisions to improve health and quality of life, and also empower the community members to assist them in adapting a healthy life style.
Health education volunteers programme
To make volunteers qualified to have an expertise and ability in raising awareness on healthy lifestyle, cancer prevention and early detection. Train volunteers on how to prepare educational materials , workshops , public campaigns and lectures. Ooredoo Cancer Awareness Center includes classrooms equipped to provide awareness and training programmes for all community members.
Workshops for adults
The workshop will provide information regarding the most common types of cancers in Qatar. Also, there will be specialised psychosocial workshops for cancer patients, survivors, and their families.
Workshops for children
It will provide interactive awareness activities to empower the healthy lifestyles in children through healthy food activities. Also, there will be a sports club for QCS kids to encourage them to do exercise.
Auditorium
There is one with a capacity to accommodate 100 people and it is equipped with high and modern interactive technologies to deliver information in interesting way. Lectures, seminars, training courses, and continuing professional education programmes for health care providers will be held at the auditorium.
Lecture hall
There are three with a capacity to accommodate 30 people of each one.
Healthy kitchen
The centre will present programmes about proper nutrition to clarify its role in the prevention of cancer and to emphasise the need of the healthy food system as a method to improve our health. Healthy kitchen will include programmes for school students and their parents, employees, and cancer patients and survivors. The programme will be displayed on TV channels.
Library
The library will have a variety of books for the awareness and education of health care professional, community members, school students, and cancer patients and survivors. It we will have an electronic library containing a large collection of electronic journals, books and specialised databases. All beneficiaries will be learning how to get reliable information from different scientific resources, whether it’s simple awareness information or advanced medical information. The library designed to be used for the purposes of performing research.
Exhibition
The exhibition will have a special and unique design, which will use innovative ways to show the most prevalent forms of cancer.
