Qatar’s healthcare sector is well prepared for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 with quality services, world-class facilities and trained healthcare workers, said the official healthcare spokesman for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Dr. Yousef Al-Maslamani.
He said the healthcare sector had been preparing for over a decade since the country won the bid to host the tournament.
“We opened 16 new primary health centers and 10 new hospitals while significantly increasing healthcare capacity with the largest emergency center in the region. We have also improved the efficiency of the emergency services, while increasing staffing levels and employing skilled workers who will support multiple health services. We have a well-trained ambulance crew who will attend to patients inside and outside of hospitals,” said Dr. Al Maslamani speaking at the Making Mega Sporting Events Safe and Healthy online event organized by the World Health Organization (WHO). He also stressed that fans will have access to health services near fan zones and stadiums in the event of an emergency and will be taken to hospitals for further treatment if necessary.
“We have built our system on the lessons we have learned from our previous experiences. And other countries and organizers will build on our preparations while learning lessons from us,” he said.
dr Al Maslamani urged fans and visitors to access the Department of Public Health’s (MoPH) social media platforms for information on how to use services and how to deal with infectious diseases and hot weather. dr Soha Al Bayat, head of the Vaccination Division, Department of Health Protection and Communicable Disease Control at MoPH, said Qatar has made preparations over time to control any type of infectious disease outbreak.
“We have been collaborating with international and local partners while developing scientific plans and strategies to address the challenges.
Qatar’s policies have proven successful and the country has the lowest mortality rate and the highest vaccination rate. We have strengthened our plans to combat communicable diseases. We’ve made plans for the last decade and COVID-19 has further strengthened those plans,” she said.
dr Al Bayat said Qatar has a robust surveillance system in place to identify and contain the spread of COVID-19 or any communicable disease. “We have a well-established track and trace system where cases are tracked and controlled. The World Cup will be a healthy and safe experience,” she said, adding that the FIFA Arab Cup 2021 is like a small exercise and has been successfully organized in a healthy and safe environment. “We want to leave a legacy that tells people that this major event can happen during a pandemic and at a different time of year, while also being safe,” she said.
She also said vaccination is not mandatory for World Cup fans but recommended getting vaccinated against seasonal influenza and COVID-19.
