The General Directorate of Endowments at the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs (Awqaf) has announced its continued support for the Qatar Diabetes Association (QDA) for this year, which will benefit 146 children with diabetes.
The assistance from Awqaf comes through the healthcare support scheme of the Waqf Bank for Healthcare.
Dr Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed bin Ghanem al-Thani, director-general of the General Directorate of Endowments, said at a press conference that there is a close relationship between Awqaf and QDA. He stressed the compatibility of the services provided by the association with the endowment donors' conditions and their generous directives to spend their endowments for the benefit of needy patients.
The director-general noted that 21 children will benefit from insulin pumps, while 125 children will benefit from FreeStyle continuous glucose monitor (CGM) devices.
He pointed out that since Islam's first century there has been an interest in the rights of patients and caring for them, with historical references testifying to benevolent Muslim endowment donors in establishing hospitals and providing care for patients, which is a religious duty.
The Waqf Bank for Healthcare is one of the important endowment initiatives at the General Administration of Endowments. This bank is a form of community participation to support the health sector, by caring for patients with low income and providing them with appropriate health services, co-operating with the competent authorities to create joint health programmes, organising educational training courses in the health field, and employing the media to promote a health culture among community members.
The official noted that the Qatari endowment initiative relies on community partnerships and co-operation between the General Directorate of Endowments at the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs via the Waqf Bank for Healthcare, together with the Qatar Diabetes Association, to purchase CGM devices and provide them to needy groups, according to a QNA report.
Dr Abdullah al-Hamaq, executive director of QDA, a member of Qatar Foundation, appreciated the endowment initiative and pointed to the strengthening of the community partnership between the two sides. He noted that the support provided this year is a continuation of what the General Administration of Endowments has committed to provide patients with better treatment while having a positive impact on their lives.
