HMC honours social workers in its facilities

Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has held a special festivity to honour the leadership and staff of social work functions at all HMC facilities for the extraordinary efforts made to serve patients and their family members, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The festivity was attended by Mahmoud Saleh al-Raisi, chief of the Continuing Care Group at Hamad Medical Corporation, Dr Suad Suaidan al-Hamad, executive director of HMC’s Social Services Department, and a number of officials and staff from the department.In a statement, Dr al-Hamad stressed the importance of social work's role in extending social and psychological support to patients as well as access to therapeutic services at all points of care facilitated by the corporation’s social workers. This role is underpinned by improving patients’ quality of life and enabling them to access the healthcare services they need. “The Social Work Department works hand in hand with multidisciplinary teams to create a healing environment for patients through social work research, whereby patients get the help they need to overcome various challenges, particularly those associated with their ailments and their surrounding conditions. “Due to the advancement of healthcare services and the expansion of healthcare facilities in Qatar and to the rising demand for social services, the role of social work has gained more importance at healthcare facilities as they tend to ease the burdens of such facilities through the expedient discharge of recovering patients, in collaboration with stakeholders, to a safe and secure environment. We, at the Social Work Department, set forth the socio-medical policies and continue to develop such policies on an ongoing basis to have them standardised and aligned with patient needs,” Dr al-Hamad said.Maliha al-Shamali, deputy executive director of HMC’s Social Services Department, said the role of social workers is pivotal in helping patients subdue impediments they could possibly face because of their ailment, such as not being able to work for to make ends meet or even lose their jobs, which in turn, would be disruptive to and have adverse impact on patients’ social relationship at home or work. This is where the social work takes the lead as a means to rehabilitate patients, provide with the support they need, and help restore their role as active members within the parameters of their own families and the society as a whole.“Patients who are not economically able to cover some of their healthcare expenses may get financial assistance through HMC’s Social WorkDepartment's direct and indirect co-ordination with community NGOs (such as charitable organisations)," she added.During the event, which witnessed a large audience of participants, certificates of appreciation were distributed to honoured members from the social work circle.Among the honoured members was Mohamed Othman, acting head of the Social Work Department at Hamad General Hospital, who said the department is keen to organise events where patients are engaged in social and other activities throughout the year as part of HMC’s commitment to provide safe, compassionate and effective healthcare services to all patients.Zahra Darwish, acting head of the Social Work Department at HMC’s Women Wellness and Research Center, Jabir al-Jabiri, acting head of the Social Work Department at Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital, Najat al-Kubaisi, head of the Social Work Department at Al Khor Hospital, Ibrahim al-Ansari, head of the Social Work Department at Qatar Rehabilitation Center, and Mohamed al-Obaidli, head of the Social Work Department at Heart Hospital, all highlighted the importance of social workers.During the festivity, Dr al-Hamad thanked officials in HMC's social work departments, including Abdul Rahman al-Sahli, head of the Social Work Department at Wakra Hospital, Haya al-Mraikhi, head of the Social Work Department at Rumaila Hospital, Ibrahim al-Marhoon, head of the Social Work Department at Communicable Disease Center, Ibtihal Mursi, head of the Social Work Department at Home Healthcare Services, and Muna al-Sayyed, head of the Social Work Department at Dukhan Hospital, and all social workers for their continued dedication to serving patients.