Doha: Minister of Public Health, H E Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari has said that Qatar’s response to Covid-19 helped stabilize the pandemic in the country.
Speaking at the opening session of the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH) 2020, held under the theme of One World, Our Health, the Minister said that though there are no signs of a second wave in Qatar, it is important to be vigilant.
“Today the epidemic has stabilized in Qatar. We have not seen a second wave, but we remain alert. There have been a small number of outbreaks mostly associated with family gathering, which we have controlled with active surveillance and contact tracing,” she said.
“A key factor in our success is our system of universal health coverage. All costs of treatment were covered by the government, irrespective of nationality or social conditions. All patients received the same high standard of care. Our low mortality is attributable to a variety of factors, including the young average age of the population, but particularly to the high quality of medical care, provided equally to everyone. Throughout we strived to keep our healthcare workforce safe and protected and our hospital acquired infections as close to zero as possible.”
“Every death is a tragedy, but we are thankful that our cases, in global terms, remain low. Our mortality rate is 0.15% one of the lowest in the world. This stands as testimony to the talent and commitment of our doctors and nurses and the entire healthcare workforce. This is also testament of our healthcare system.”
Dr. Al Kuwari also highlighted how the healthcare system expanded the capacity to accommodate every patient and provide them with right care.
“We opened nearly 3,000 acute care beds and 227 ICU beds and secured extra ventilators. We made provision to treble the ICU beds, to 749 if necessary, we transformed an entire general hospital to an intensive care hospital.
“We have treated around 2,000 patients with severe Covid-19 in our ICUs since the start of the pandemic, of whom nearly 90% have been discharged.”
The minister also said that that Qatar opened 24 isolation facilities, with the maximum of 30,000 beds, and 609 quarantine facilities with the capacity of 15, 000 beds.
Dr. Al Kuwari highlighted the support Qatar has extended to other countries in the battle against COVID-19. “We know we will win this battle only if everyone wins it. In solidarity, Qatar has so far helped more than 70 countries and international organizations with equipment and resources,” she said.
The Minister also insisted that COVID-19 is not beaten yet. “Our strategy remains one of vigilance and focused action tempered by a controlled return to normality, while keeping our people safe. We await, with the rest of the world, the development of a safe, effective vaccine. In the meantime, we must rely on the public health measures with which we are all familiar and the dedication and professionalism of the global health workforce to keep us safe,” she said.
