Al Wakra and Ras Laffan Hospitals discharge last Covid-19 patients

(MENAFN - The Peninsula) Doha: Last COVID-19 patients from Al Wakra and Ras Laffan hospitals were discharged today.  In recent months, Al Wakra and Ras Laffan Hospitals have both been designated as COVID-19 facilities to help the healthcare sector meet the increasing demand for hospital admissions due to the second wave of the virus.  During her visit to Al Wakra Hospital, H E Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, Minister of Public Health, highlighted the important role that these two hospitals have played throughout the second wave of the virus. ''As COVID-19 cases rose earlier this year, the number of people requiring hospital admission due to moderate and severe COVID-19 symptoms increased significantly. To ensure the healthcare sector was able to meet this demand, and provide high-quality care to every patient requiring treatment, Ras Laffan and Al Wakra Hospitals were designated as two of the seven COVID-19 facilities.” ''With the number of new COVID-19 cases falling consistently in recent weeks, fewer people now require hospital admission for their COVID-19 symptoms. Discharging the last COVID-19 patients from Ras Laffan and Al Wakra Hospitals and recommencing normal services highlights how the combined efforts of the government restrictions, roll-out of the vaccination program and the community’s adherence to preventive measures have all helped to suppress this second wave. Congratulations to all the dedicated staff at Ras Laffan and Al Wakra Hospitals who have worked tirelessly to deliver the very best standard of care to thousands of COVID-19 patients,” added Dr Al Kuwari. During the visit, the Minister met with the senior leadership team at Al Wakra and Ras Laffan Hospitals and presented a plaque of appreciation to formally recognize the outstanding work of staff. The Minister also met with two recovered COVID-19 patients who had been admitted to the hospital and successfully treated for their symptoms.  Dr. Abdulla Al Ansari, HMC’s Chief Medical Officer, said: ''Converting Al Wakra Hospital to a COVID-19 facility was a difficult but important decision that needed to be taken to ensure our community were better cared for, at a time of uncertainty. Patients have been cared for at Ras Laffan and Al Wakra Hospitals since their designation as COVID-19 facilities in this second wave. The entire process of transforming both these hospitals into COVID-19 facilities has been delivered through the hard work and commitment of hundreds of healthcare staff including doctors, nurses, and a wide range of support staff.” ''I would like to thank everyone who has played their part in caring for COVID-19 patients throughout this pandemic and for the remarkable achievement of returning Al Wakra Hospital to normal services in the shortest time possible, to care for the community,” he added.  Dr. Khaled Al Jalham, Clinical Lead for Ras Laffan Hospital, said: ''Ras Laffan Hospital has been one of the dedicated COVID-19 facilities in both the first and second waves of the virus in Qatar. Since the start of the pandemic our healthcare teams at Ras Laffan have cared for more than 8,000 patients with COVID-19. Each and every member of staff has made an important contribution to the healthcare sector’s overall response to COVID-19. By boosting bed capacity across our system and delivering high-quality care without delay to any patient in need of medical care, we have been able to have one of the lowest COVID-19 mortality rates in the world. I am enormously proud of the team at Ras Laffan.” With the last COVID-19 patients now discharged from Al Wakra Hospital, the facility will recommence normal services, as Acting CEO and Medical Director of Al Wakra Hospital, Dr. Sabah Al Kadhi explained: ''With Al Wakra Hospital’s role as a COVID-19 facility now at an end, we look forward to returning to normal service provision and delivering high-quality medical services to people living in Al Wakra and the surrounding areas. Every week, our skilled and devoted teams provide care to tens of thousands of patients through a wide range of healthcare services including outpatient, emergency, labor and delivery, pediatrics, dentistry, burns, dermatology, and specialized and general surgery. As of tomorrow, Wednesday 26 May, all services, including the Emergency Department, are open as normal to patients.”MENAFN25052021000063011010ID1102135167