* Qatar Post delivers more than 750,000 medications to homes of patients
* Partnership between MoPH, HMC, PHCC and Qatar Post extended
Qatar Post has delivered medications and other health-related items to some 300,000 Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) patients since April as part of its partnership with the country’s health entities for home delivery services.
Now, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), HMC, PHCC and Qatar Post have extended their partnership, which has seen medicines, medical consumables, official documents and reports delivered directly to patients’ homes during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a QNA report.
Since April, more than 750,000 medications have been delivered by Qatar Post to 230,000 HMC patients and thousands of other essentials, including items for diabetic patients and bandages, the report states. Qatar Post has also delivered items to more than 70,000 patients on behalf of PHCC. The services are available to all patients with a valid health card.
“This cross-industry partnership with Qatar Post has not only ensured we are able to safely continue to provide essential items and documents to our patients, but also provided them in a safe and convenient manner. This partnership has delivered real and lasting benefits to our patients and to the healthcare sector. We would like to thank Qatar Post for their continued support and are looking forward to working together on other innovative projects in the future,” said Dr Juliet Ibrahim, director of the E-Health Department, MoPH.
“Qatar Post is delighted to assist patients as well as HMC, PHCC and the MoPH with the continuation of the home delivery service. We recognise the importance of extending this convenient service in the interest of controlling the spread of the coronavirus for the benefit of both patients and staff alike. Qatar Post continues to deliver to the country during these difficult times,” said Hamad al-Fahida, Qatar Post chief operating officer.
Nasser al-Naimi, HMC’s deputy chief of Quality, Center for Patient Experience and Staff Engagement, and director of the Hamad Healthcare Quality Institute, noted: “Given the popularity of the service, we are pleased to continue our partnership with Qatar Post to deliver medications, official documents and other essential items to patients.
“This service is not only convenient, but it also reduces the need for patients to visit our hospitals and facilities. We received very positive feedback from patients about the safety and reliability of this premium service and are pleased to be able to continue offering it. Patients, however, will also have the option of visiting our facilities to collect the items, including medications.”
Dr Samya Ahmad al-Abdalla, senior consultant of Family Medicine and executive director of Operations at PHCC, said the ongoing collaboration with Qatar Post is part of the public healthcare sector’s commitment to continuously improve its systems and processes as well as introduce innovative ways to improve the patient experience.
“We are continually working on improvements and innovations that positively impact the lives of our patients. Especially in the light of Covid-19 and our ongoing vigilance as a community, we want to ensure that patients still have the option to choose to have these items delivered,” said Dr al-Abdulla.
Dr Moza al-Hail, executive director of Pharmacy at Hamad Medical Corporation, said the initiation of HMC’s medication home delivery system has gained remarkable appreciation from patients and the community.
“Medication home delivery is designed to further complement telehealth initiatives during the pandemic as it will benefit all patients, notably the most vulnerable patients and individuals in need, as they will receive their medications conveniently at their doorstep in a safe and effective way,” Dr al-Hail added.
To order HMC medication, patients can call 16000. For general information, they can contact the HMC Nesma’ak Customer Service on 16060 or PHCC Hayyak on 107.
As announced on Tuesday, any requests for medication or medical-related items by patients from September 26 onwards will be subject to a QR30 delivery fee, in addition to the cost of the items delivered where applicable.
This includes the delivery of consumables, medicines, medical reports, birth certificates, medical licensing documents, dietary and nutrition items and diabetic supplies.
The special fee of QR30 will remain in place for an additional two months. Patients will pay separately the QR30 fee to Qatar Post representatives upon the delivery of items, in addition to the cost of the items received.
Patients can pay using debit or credit card upon delivery. Cash will not be accepted. Patients receiving HMC medications have the option to pay for their items online - through a link sent them - or on delivery.
