Three multi-disciplinary centres across Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) provide Qatar’s diabetic population with improved patient care and access to specialised services. The centres care over 30,000 patients a year.
The National Diabetes Center at Hamad General Hospital was opened in 2013 and receives more than 15,000 patients each year. The centre at Al Wakrah Hospital opened a year later and cares for around 7000 patients each year and the Women’s Wellness and Research Center (WWRC)’s diabetes clinic cares for between 1,500 and 1,700 pregnant women each month.
These facilities serve as ‘one-stop shop’ in which patients can speak with specialist doctors, get access to specialised treatment, delivering a range of services from initial screening through to treatment, health education, and the provision of medication and equipment, said Dr. Mahmoud A Zirie, a senior consultant and Head of the Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Department of Medicine at HMC, while speaking to media recently.
“We have a care plan for the diabetes patients and to have a multi-disciplinary team to treat diabetes and to make sure that we match the international standards. We were surveyed by the Joint Commission International (JCI),” he said.
According to Dr. Zirie, part of JCI survey was for disease effective treatment-Clinical Care Programme Certification. Also in a competition that is run by HMC annually-Stars of Excellence and the diabetes management plan in Hamad General Hospital and WWRC won the prizes for the year 2019.
The centres at Al Wakrah Hospital and WWRC duplicate the National Diabetes Center at Hamad General Hospital and provides services including renew prescriptions and learn self-care skills related to blood glucose monitoring, healthy eating, and physical activity, foot care, counselling, blood investigation and insulin pump therapy.
The WWRC’s Center, located on Level 1 of its Outpatient Department, is dedicated solely to caring for pregnant women at risk of, or living with, diabetes. Over 20 staff comprised of endocrinologists, podiatrists, dietitians, education specialists, physicians, nurses, pharmacists and technicians, all work together to improve diabetes management and prevention in pregnant women.
National Diabetes Center at Hamad General Hospital is located on the second floor of the outpatient department. It features diabetes treatment clinics, a special pharmacy for diabetic patients and diabetes educational units, a pediatric clinic in addition to dietetics and podiatry (foot care) services.
“The family-centred facility offers diabetes treatment through an interdisciplinary team approach. We provide the most updated services and medication for patients. We serve as ‘one-stop shop’ in which patients can speak with specialist doctors and nutrition experts, renew prescriptions and learn about how to manage their condition,” Dr Buthaina Ibrahim, Senior Consultant, National Diabetes Centre at Hamad General Hospital.
“National Diabetes Center has a hotline available between 7am to 7pm for patients. So they don’t have to wait for the next appointment to get their doubts cleared,” she said.
Diabetes is a complex condition which can lead to debilitating long-term complications and acute illness. The disease has reached epidemic proportion in Qatar with about 17% of the the state’s adult population thought to have diabetes.
About 11% of Qatar’s population is considered to be pre-diabetic.
Also, approximately 10% of pregnant women in Qatar have diabetes. But it is estimated that as many as a third of diabetics are not aware of their disease.
