Dr Samia al-Abdullah, Executive Director of the Operations Department at the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), said that all health centres are receiving patients who wish to get the Civid-19 vaccine, according to the plans and regulations in force and with high professionalism to ensure public safety with no crowding or delays. Local Arabic daily Arrayah reported.

Dr al-Abdullah added that patients who are eligible for vaccination against Covid-19 are contacted directly, by text messages or phone to get an appointment, noting that at present priority is given to people who are most at risk of severe complications, or aged 60 and above, and people with severe chronic diseases.

Also eligible are healthcare workers, who are exposed directly and repeatedly to the risk of the Covid-19 virus, besides students who study abroad when they visit Qatar, as this will allow them to travel and protect themselves from the virus. They can make appointments via the hotline.

Dr Al-Abdullah confirmed that “the PHCC has taken all measures to ensure that the nursing staff are highly qualified and trained for giving the vaccine, and in preserving samples from waste. The vaccine is given throughout the week in 27 health centres, and on Fridays and Saturdays in 20 health centres from 7am until 11 at night. It does not take more than half an hour for the patient to receive the vaccine, and after 15 minutes, blood pressure and temperature are taken to ensure that there are no complications or high blood pressure before leaving the centre, in the interest of everyone's safety.”

She called on all those who fall under those categories to adhere to the appointments set for them while keeping the precautionary measures within the health centres in order to ensure their safety and that of other patients in specialised clinics.

She said that the health authorities are committed to implementing the national strategy for vaccination against the coronavirus, which consists of four phases distributed over this year.