HMC's Pharmacy Delivers Medicines to Over 20,000 People at Homes a Week
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02 Sunday, May 10, 2020 Contact US: Qatar Tribune I EDITORIAL I Phone: 40002222 I ADMINISTRATION & MARKETING I Phone: 40002155, 40002122, Fax: 40002235 P.O. Box: 23493, Doha. Stable heart patients can fast HMC’s pharmacy delivers during Ramadan, says expert CATHERINE W GICHUKI should be more cautious. DOHA They should make up for the medicines to over 20,000 deficiency of water through- STABLE patients of cardio- out the fasting time,” he said, vascular diseases can fast On a different note, Dr during the Holy Month of Tamimi also advised people Ramadan, Hamad Medical with cardiovascular diseases people at homes a week Corporation’s Heart Hospital to take precautionary meas- senior consultant has said. ures to protect themselves Speaking to Qatar Trib- against the coronavirus dis- The service received more than 30,000 calls from patients during the first week une, senior consultant car- ease (COVID-19). diologist Dr Omar al Tamimi He said, “People with QNA Dr Hail said the home delivery services said stable patients mean cardiovascular disease have DOHA has reduced the presence of patients in those who have no recurrent chances of catching the COV- pharmacies, which in turn has limited the symptoms of the disease such ID-19 just like any other peo- THE drug delivery service launched by spread of infectious diseases in general and as chest pain, shortness of ple. The difference is that the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) in coronavirus in particular. breath, palpitations or any- Dr Omar al Tamimi symptoms of those with car- mid-April for all patients, in cooperation She, however, admitted that the ser- thing similar. diovascular disease are going with Qatar Post, has achieved great success vice is facing some challenges such as ob- He said, “Stable patients People living with heart to be much more severe.” and enabled the beneficiaries to obtain their taining accurate data and information re- are also those who have not conditions should adhere to According to some re- medicines in a timely manner without the quired from patients like the mobile phone been having multiple fre- their medications. “Most of ports, coronavirus attacks need to go to healthcare facilities, as part of number and the correct house address as quent changes to their medi- the cardiac medications are people with comorbidities the efforts to combat the coronavirus (COV- providing inaccurate addresses may delay cation in terms of replacing given once or twice a day. like heart disease, and kidney ID-19), Dr Moza al Hail, executive director the delivery of the drug to the patient. She one with another or increase They can either take their and chest problems. of Pharmacy Department at HMC, has said. Dr Moza al Hail added that the service centres sometimes of dosage; not have had re- medication after breaking He urged heart patients to Dr Hail said HMC’s Pharmacy Admin- also receives a large number of unnecessary cent mild or serious disease their fast or at suhour time. If observe social distancing, fre- istration succeeded in the first 10 days of a dedicated number is allocated for direct calls not related to ordering and delivering that warrants them to be at it’s twice a day, they can take quent washing of hands, wear- launching the service to deliver medicines to communication to get medicines according of medicine to homes, which wastes time the hospital. Those with sta- it at the time of their meals ing masks and avoiding con- more than 20,000 patients at homes, while to the treatment plan for each patient. and other patients’ opportunities to contact ble conditions who maintain which is either at iftar and tacts with people, especially the service received more than 30,000 calls Talking about the service mechanism, service centres. the same frequency of medi- suhour.” those who have symptoms. from patients during the first week. Dr Hail said the centre at Hamad General Dr Hail said to benefit from the drug cation and amount should be He advised those on “It is important for those She said the service also succeeded in Hospital is dedicated to receiving calls and delivery service, patients first need to con- able to fast.” blood pressure medication, patients to pay a lot of at- helping patients who needed a re-exchange providing service to citizens, and a second tact 16000 and choose Hamad Medical He said patients who especially the ones that make tention to their medication of previous prescriptions as well as patients centre at Hamad Medical City is for receiv- Corporation from the list of options and need to be admitted at the the patient to pass urine fre- because they need to keep who got new medical. She said although ing calls and providing service to residents, then follow the instructions. After receiving hospital and require inten- quently, to take their medi- their condition on check. In the service is launched for the first time in as well as other centres in specialised hos- the request, the patient’s data is collected sive monitoring, and are giv- cation at iftar time to avoid the month of Ramadan, there cooperation with Qatar Post, all difficul- pitals such as at the heart hospital, the and the drugs are prepared depending on en the treatment through the dehydration during the fast- may be changes because of ties were overcome swiftly, as the service National Center for Cancer Treatment and the medical prescription found in patient’s intravenous, should not fast. ing time. the times of eating and fast- won the approval of the beneficiaries and Research, Al-Khor Hospital and Al-Wakra electronic file, then another pharmacist re- According to him, heart Dr Tamimi urged heart ing but this should not be an enabled them to obtain their medications Hospital. views the prescription again and collects the patients wishing to fast patients to eat a healthy and excuse,” he said. easily. Dr Hail noted that out of keenness She said the service would be evalu- medicine in one envelope before handing it should also have to consider balanced diet and keep them- In case they need to con- to cover all patients’ needs, other windows ated to develop it in the future and benefit over to the postal officer who then delivers other problems they might be selves well hydrated. sult their doctor, they can call were designated to obtain the medicines for from the experience in delivering repack- itto the patient. having because most of the “Patients who have heart the hotline 16000. If it is dur- emergency cases. ing drugs to patients at their homes to save She stressed the need for the patient to heart patients have other is- failure and who are not sup- ing their appointment time, a As part of the Ministry of Public Health’s them the trouble of coming to hospitals to order medicines 10 days before he/she fin- sues such as diabetes. posed to drink a lot of water doctor will call them. efforts to curb the spread of coronavirus, get their medicines. ish the current content he or she has. Qatar believes in power of dialogue and diplomacy: FM Public hospitals to receive Continued from page 1 we have a greater opportunity Udeid base. has committed from the begin- “There is also support for emergency, regular cases to achieve long-term security “We are still continuing our ning and worked to ensure the subprogrammes that we have THE FM said, “We believe the through direct cooperation and efforts on regional issues, such coherence the negotiating pro- established such as the Qatar- Continued from page 1 at the designated COVID-19 humanitarian and development dialogue that are accountable as Afghanistan and the Doha cess, overcome the obstacles it Tunisia Friendship Fund and hospitals are non-critical. assistance we provide world- within a regional security frame- talks that culminated in the faced, bring the parties around the Darfur Fund, which, along HE said the public hospi- Separate sections have been al- wide contributes to the security work. signing of the agreement be- the negotiating table, and to with other initiatives, focus tals will continue to receive located for children and preg- and stability of the world ... This “If every country in the Mid- tween the Taliban and the US, strive to reach the primary goal, mainly on developing and creat- emergency and regular cases nant women, he added. Dr is not limited to a specific re- dle East joins in good faith and and we will continue to mediate which is the agreement be- ing opportunities for young gen- through Hamad Hospital, Al Ahmed said, “We have adapted gion or religion, but it is for all will to commit, then we can cre- between the Afghan parties, the tween the parties. We have al- erations to establish their own Khor Hospital and Al Wakrah to the COVID-19 crisis by pro- humanity, and we extend our ate an organised framework, US and the Taliban,” he added. ways sought to achieve consen- projects that create a productive Hospital without delaying or viding virtual medical services. hands to all our friends. with binding mechanisms and He said Qatar has cooper- sus on the fundamental issue of environment for them. We pro- endangering patients’ lives. We used the hotline or direct “It will not be possible to conflict resolution, where all ated with the US to evacuate bringing peace and stability to vide them with funding for the He said most of the patients phone call for the purpose.” face the repercussions of the countries will be held account- American citizens on Qatar Air- Afghanistan.” initial establishment stages and pandemic without cooperation able for achieving peace and ways.