Doha: Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Emergency Departments across the network of hospitals continue to provide effective care to people, while a change in the numbers and flow of patients is seen during the holy of Ramadan.
Similar to previous years, the number of patients seeking treatment for conditions such as gastric ailments, road accidents, hypoglycemia, and dehydration saw an increase during the first four days of Ramadan. However, the conditions of most cases were minor to moderate.
“Every year we see a change in the flow of patients during the holy month of Ramadan. Evenings and nights are busier, especially in the first week of Ramadan,” said Emergency Medicine Specialist at Hamad General Hospitals’ Emergency Department, Dr. Zarah Makki.
“We see more patients being sick due to their wrong eating habits; patients with chronic diseases due to change in the pattern they take medicine – those with conditions such as diabetes and epilepsy; and most people don’t go to the primary care physician for non-life threatening conditions. These cases are seen in addition to the regular serious cases we see at the Emergency Department,” Dr. Makki told The Peninsula.
Dr. Makki said Emergency Departments are always ready and prepared to receive patients with serious emergency cases that need immediate medical intervention.
“The Emergency Departments operate 24 hours a day and provide urgent and emergency care for serious medical cases,” she said, adding that around 30 to 35 physicians are on duty in each shift at the Hamad General Hospital’s Emergency department.
However, Dr. Makki advised people to take moderate and healthy meals during iftar and suhoor; seek a physician’s advice before making any change in taking medicine; drive safely and wear seat belts; and seek help from Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) for non-life threatening conditions.
“We have a triage system for screening and classifying patients to determine their medical needs; we do prioritise the needs of those with the most critical conditions first. Therefore patients coming for non-emergency conditions may have to wait for a long time,” she said, adding that non-emergency cases might make an impact on the time to see and treat those in an emergency condition.
“Patients with minor conditions, including flu, backache, a mild burn or earache do not require visiting one of HMC emergency departments and they are advised to visit other health facilities operated by PHCC,” she said. The PHCC operates nine 24-hour Urgent Care Centers across Qatar and offers treatment for non-life-threatening conditions.
PHCC’s Urgent Care Centers are located at Rawdat Al Khail, Gharrafat Al Rayyan, Al Kabaan, Al Sheehaniya, Al Ruwais, Muaither, Abu Baker Al Siddiq, Um Salal, and Al Mashaf.
