Doha, October 15 (QNA) - Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) stressed that the 5th International Primary Health Care Conference, which PHCC will organize from Nov. 9-12 under the theme "Primary Care Today: Lessons Learnt, Future Action for Sustainability," will discuss vital and significant health issues with the participation of local and international authorities and speakers to contribute and benefit from exchanging successful experiences and 3exceptional expertise in the health sector.

In a press conference on Sunday, PHCC Managing Director and Conference Chairperson Dr. Mariam Abdul Malik said that the conference will be held under the patronage of HE Minister of Public Health Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari and aims to consider innovative health management systems and quality improvement initiatives to improve health outcomes and patient safety in primary care. Furthermore, the conference aims to identify the latest evidence-based options in managing the diagnosis and treatment of common diseases in primary healthcare facilities and identify the best global family and society-centered health promotion and disease prevention practices.

Dr. Abdul Malik noted that among the conference's objectives are also to compare approaches used in health professions education, workforce training, capacity building in primary healthcare practice, and to recognize the importance of research and its opportunities in primary care to improve health outcomes for populations.

She considered the conference an opportunity to exchange expertise and best practices through discussion panels and workshops that will be held. In addition, the conference will provide an opportunity for researchers to share their research that can be applied to make improvements in primary healthcare. She noted that in addition to that, the conference will host a medical exhibition that will enable healthcare sector organizations to display their latest innovations and contributions in this field.

Regarding the organizational preparations for the conference, Dr. Abdul Malik said that several committees were formed for the conference, such as the Organizing Committee, to fully supervise the planning and setting of the conference's objectives and follow up on the progress of work with the rest of the committees. In addition, the scientific committee will work on developing the topics and themes of the conference and its sessions, attract and review submitted research papers, and select speakers according to the best and highest standards that are appropriate to the level of the conference. There is also the logistical committee to provide all the main requirements for holding the conference, ensure their readiness, supervise the organization of the exhibition accompanying the conference, and coordinate with the conference sponsors.

During the press conference, Dr. Abdul Malik said that the recommendations of previous conferences are being followed up and included in the strategies of the PHCC, whether the 2018-2023 strategy or the 2024-2030 strategy that is currently being prepared. She noted that many recommendations have been implemented, especially about the axis of comprehensive healthcare, integrated healthcare, and other topics.

She also stressed the keenness of the PHCC to conduct annual opinion polls for visitors and patients, regularly and frequently, to find out their opinions and the extent of their satisfaction with the services provided to them in the health centers.

She revealed that PHCC health centers provide more than 1,500 health services and many specialties and receive more than 1,700,000 visitors. She said that the PHCC is working hard to shorten the waiting times for patients and schedule quick appointments despite the continuous increase in the population and the increasing demand for health centers, pointing out that digital indicators indicate continuous improvement.

In this context, she indicated that appointments for specialized clinics do not exceed 9 days with emergency clinics for immediate access to a doctor. She stressed that the PHCC is keen to improve this level, change the waiting rates and appointments themselves, and not leave references on the waiting list after two weeks while trying to transfer the patient to another center, even if they are not registered there.

Regarding whether the advanced healthcare services provided by the PHCC and its health centers have contributed to reducing the rates and numbers of patients who are referred to hospitals, Dr. Abdul Malik indicated that the global rates in this regard range between 6 and 9 percent, which is acceptable, noting that after the specialized services were referred to the health centers, the referral rates to hospitals decreased and the burden on them was significantly reduced to meet the goal of opening them.

She added that introducing specialized clinics in health centers is not one of the goals of primary healthcare since the family doctor is the one who examines all cases, stressing that the State of Qatar's commitment to providing distinguished health services is what prompted the opening of specialized clinics in health centers.

She also talked about psychological support services in health centers - especially depression and insomnia, and the successes achieved in that regard and the continuous efforts to improve the level of services and gain more and more satisfaction from patients in light of the PHCC's great interest in this and the focus of its services on the patient and his family. She stressed that Qatar is the first Arab country to obtain international accreditation regarding the satisfaction of the patient and his family with the health services provided to them, which is the primary goal PHCC constantly focuses on, and from this standpoint, it is keen to listen to the opinion of the patients, involve them, and attract them through special committees for patients, interactive meetings in health centers, and monthly forums.

Regarding the extent of benefiting from the outcomes of previous conferences, especially in the field of research, PHCC Managing Director and Conference Chairperson Dr. Mariam Abdul Malik indicated the establishment of a special research department under the Department of Clinical Affairs to contribute to the development of research projects, pointing out that many of these studies and research papers are being worked on by Qatari students to suit the needs of the State of Qatar, and about 130 research papers are related to common diseases in the region, especially about Qatar and its community, including matters related to nutrition and diabetes.

Conference Organizing Committee Vice-chairperson and Assistant Managing Director for Administrative and Corporate Services Musallam Al Nabit noted the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC)'s interest in holding this conference regularly, a move that highlights the state's interest in development, innovation, and sustainability in the Health sector.
He added that this interest is also proven by many local and international forums and events, whose focus is on human health and well-being, towards arriving at a healthy future and a conscious society.
Al Nabit pointed out that this could only be accomplished by strengthening relations with partners in both the public and private sectors, in addition to engaging service recipients to get their feedback, which is in line with the organization's vision and mission.
Stemming from their sense of social responsibility and the role of institutions in creating a healthy society, Al Nabit thanked the Conference's sponsors and partners for their support and help in raising awareness and promoting healthy living. He said that the Ministry of Public Health and Hamad Medical Corporation are the conference's strategic partners whereas Ooredoo is a gold sponsor for the conference.
In a related context, he noted PHCC's partnerships with many other entities, such as the Qatar Red Crescent Society, the Qatar Cancer Society, and the Qatar Diabetes Association, among others.
For her part, the Chair of the Scientific Planning Committee Dr. Zelaikha Al Wahedi said that the conference will see a series of diverse lectures, including more than 30 platforms for professional and scientific interactive discussion between healthcare specialists and workers in the medical field to develop primary health care services, a valuable opportunity to exchange expertise and best practices.
Dr. Al Wahedi explained that the conference will cover a wide range of topics, namely, healthcare resilience in the face of global crises, the latest developments in primary healthcare and clinical practices, improving quality, training, health care innovations, in addition to specialized topics in infectious disease control, mental health screening, and management, advances science in health professions education and research, and focuses on improving health and well-being through lifestyle medicine, wellness, and many other topics.

The chair of the Scientific Planning Committee said that stemming from PHCC's commitment to student participation, it will launch the student volunteer work team initiative during the conference, whereby a group of exceptional healthcare students and fresh graduates who are strongly passionate and deeply interested in primary health care and research will be selected.

Dr. Al Wahedi explained that this initiative will be an opportunity for students to reflect on their creativity and to expand their knowledge, in addition to enabling students to interact with an elite group of primary healthcare experts. The chair of the Scientific Planning Committee said that selected students will attend the conference free of charge in exchange for their active participation in it, adding that this will help students develop organizational and leadership skills, as well as provide them with a platform to showcase their research work and innovative ideas.

Chair of the Scientific Planning Committee said that the conference is one of the top medical forums in the Middle East, embodying the commitment of the State of Qatar and the PHCC to the continuous development of primary health care services.

Dr. Al Wahidi said that the conference's sessions will be moderated by experts and specialists from Gulf Cooperation Council countries, the US, the UK, Switzerland, and Portugal, among others.
A diverse array of 6 workshops and 30 sessions will be delivered, allowing for the exchange of experiences and best practices. Key topics in the primary healthcare conference will include health promotion, healthcare resilience during global crises, clinical practice updates in primary care, quality improvement, capacity building, models of care, and innovations. In addition to specialized topics in infectious disease surveillance and control, mental health screening and management, and scientific advancements within the area of education and research of health professions, as well as a focus on optimizing health and well-being through lifestyle medicine, wellness, and a multitude of other topics.

The Chair of the Scientific Planning Committee said that there are thus far 862 registered participants and 100 research paper presentations to take place during the conference, adding that participants will be able to obtain 21.5 Continuous Professional Development (CPD) points.

For her part, Logistics Committee chair Huda Al Wahedi noted the State of Qatar's outstanding hosting of international events in recent years, raising the PHCC's capacity to support such events at a level that is befitting of Qatar, especially in the health domain, which receives a lot of attention and development by the country.

The Logistics Committee chair said that the PHCC is interested in involving the private sector and international healthcare-related companies in the conference, whereby the most prominent pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies will take part.

(QNA)