Doha: Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Social Service Department celebrated the World Social Work Day, falling this year on March 21, under the theme: ‘Respecting Diversity Through Joint Social Action’.
The celebration of the World Social Work Day was held to honour HMC’s social service leaders and clinical social workers in recognition of their continued efforts to serve patients, visitors, and their families and offer high-quality social services across all HMC facilities.
Bashayr Al Rashid, Acting Executive Director of Corporate Social Service at HMC, stressed the importance of clinical social workers’ role in healthcare, which is to provide psychosocial support to patients to ensure they are able to make the most of the benefits the healthcare services provide to them at HMC hospitals. The role of social workers is mainly focused on helping improve the quality of life for patients and enabling them to access and benefit from the services that best meet their needs.
“Clinical social workers play a vital and essential role in providing a link between the patient and their family on the one hand, and the multidisciplinary care team on the other, to ensure the comprehensive treatment plan for the patient is progressing well. Clinical social workers also coordinate the meetings that multidisciplinary care teams hold with patients’ families to clarify the treatment plan and its stages. They also provide social support and assist in solving problems that some patients may face, including social, legal, or family issues,” said Al Rashid.
The World Social Work Day aims at recognising the efforts of individuals who have chosen to pursue a career in social work and highlighting their achievements at both local and international levels. World Social Work Day also offers an opportunity for social workers to celebrate their work and achievements and raise awareness of the important role they play in empowering societies. This occasion also helps draw more attention to the need for further development, planning, and support for social work, as well as the need for a comprehensive review of relevant policies to achieve social justice.
Bashayr Al Rashid said the Corporate Social Service Department at HMC supervises social service sections across the Corporation’s network of hospitals.
