Doha: The Naufar Center and the Tobacco Control Center at Hamad Medical Corporation, a WHO Collaborating Center, signed a joint memorandum of understanding on May 30, 2022, in honour of the World No-Tobacco Day.
This MoU between the Tobacco Control Center and Naufar focuses on assisting the latter in supporting smokers (patients and staff) in Naufar by exchanging scientific activities, collaborating on research, and providing training for Naufar's medical staff on the latest methods for treating tobacco use.
The memorandum was signed by The Hamad Medical Corporation's Tobacco Control Center represented by Dr. Ahmed Al Mulla, Director of the Tobacco Control Center and Naufar Center represented by Dr. Khalifa Al-Kuwari, Assistant Director General of Naufar Center.
On the importance of these activities, Dr. Ahmed Al Mulla stated that there is a complicated relationship between smoking and substance use, in which smoking, especially among young people, could be the gateway to enter the world of substance use because of the increase in the addictive receivers of the brain caused by smoking, which makes the young hungry for other addictive products. Also, the continued smoking in some of the individuals with substance use disorder may weaken their chances of treatment.
Dr. Khalifa Al-Kuwari emphasized the importance of signing the agreement with the Tobacco Control Center so that we can provide our patients with full support and enhance the chances for those struggling with addiction to recover using the best treatment methods according to international standards.
In addition, Dr. Al-Kuwari stated, "We want to express our pleasure at this opportunity to work with the Tobacco Control Center, which has educational and therapeutic goals, and out of our social duty, we are happy and proud of this partnership, which benefits patients and provides them with full support to achieve the short and long-term goals they aspire to by directing their care journey toward integrated health and smoking cessation using modern scientific methods."
Dr. Al Mulla expressed the center's readiness to establish such activities with any other governmental or non-governmental institutions because the fight against smoking is the responsibility of all and because the Tobacco Control Center of Hamad Medical Corporation, a WHO Collaborating Center, has the potential to provide these activities as it is on the occasion of the World No-Tobacco Day, which falls on May 31st every year. Each year, the center will carry out many awareness and rehabilitation activities, all aimed at reducing the spread of the scourge of smoking in society.
