Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) will open its medical clinic in the Sealine area of Qatar on Thursday 22 October at 3pm. The Sealine Medical Clinic has been operating for 11 years and the opening coincides with the start of the camping season 2020-2021.
The clinic will operate from 3pm on Thursdays until 5pm on Saturdays throughout the camping season and will remain open until the official end of the camping season. The opening of the clinic highlights HMC’s commitment to provide safe, compassionate, and effective healthcare services to all patients in Qatar.
Mr. Ali Abdulla Al Khater, HMC’s Chief Communications Officer and Project Manager of the Sealine Medical Clinic, said the camping season coincides this year with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and he urged campers to adhere to COVID-19 preventive measures, including social distancing, wearing masks, and regular handwashing, and to take safety precautions.
Mr. Al Khater said that the clinic plays an important role in serving the public in this major tourism and camping area, praising the long-standing cooperation between HMC and the Ministry of Municipality and Environment who facilitated providing an ideal location of the clinic.
“The clinic is located on a main road adjacent to the busy beach, resort, mosque, shopping area, and other services and amenities in the area and this enables easy access to the clinic and has enabled the team to provide first aid services to the public in a fast and effective manner,” Mr. Al Khater said.
Mr. Al Khater expressed appreciation for HMC’s partners in the Sealine Clinic whose efforts have been vital to its success. He extended special thanks to the Ministry of Municipality and Environment, and to other providers who take care of services in this unique recreational area, such as food and beverage outlets and other recreational amenities. He also thanked members of the HMC Ambulance Service and other HMC teams who support the Corporation’s efforts at Sealine.
Dr. Hamid Ghareeb, Medical Supervisor at the Sealine Medical Clinic said the facility was equipped to handle injuries and administer first aid to campers and visitors.
“The clinic features all the medical equipment and medications needed to manage injuries, but cases of urgent or serious nature are usually transported to hospital by ambulance or the LifeFlight helicopter, depending on the severity of the injury or illness,” Dr. Ghareeb said. “The clinic, which is staffed by a physician, nurse and medical supervisor, receives all types of medical emergencies and is served by a helipad for easy LifeFlight access.
“In line with the Ministry of Public Health’s measures to curb the spread of COVID-19, the clinic will take all necessary COVID-19 precautionary measures, such as physical distancing and the provision of personal protective equipment, including face masks and hand sanitizers to protect the health of the clinic visitors.”
Mr. Saleh M. Al Marri, Assistant Executive Director for Events and Emergency Preparedness at HMC’s Ambulance Service, said through working closely with other government entities, high quality healthcare services were available to campers in the Sealine resort and surrounding areas.
“Ambulance Service coverage in the Sealine area operates 24/7 with two standard response vehicles as well as two 4x4 vehicles which are deployed for transporting patients from the sand dune areas to either the clinic, a standard ambulance vehicle, or to the helipad,” Mr. Al Marri said. “Based on the request of the tourism authorities, HMC’s Ambulance Service will increase the number of ambulances to six, and five 4x4s during weekends and official holidays.
“The fleet is ready to respond to all emergency calls from campers in the Sealine resort and surrounding areas during the camping season. The new 4x4 ambulances have been modified to cope with the special terrain in the Sealine and surrounding areas, to enable them to reach patients safely and with great flexibility,” he added.
Mr. Al Marri also again urged campers to adhere to safety guidelines during the camping season and to follow all Ministry of Public Health and HMC’s preventive measures against COVID-19.
