Action on Diabetes and Hamad Medical Corporation team up to deliver successful screening programme.

Action on Diabetes, a public-private partnership initiated and funded by Maersk Oil Qatar, together with Hamad Medical Corporation successfully organised and delivered diabetes screening for those attending Friday prayers at the Grand Mosque in Doha on 26th June.

With attendance for prayers at mosques increasing during the Holy Month, the programme presents an ideal opportunity to screen the local community for diabetes, help people understand its risks as well as provide advice on managing the condition and eating healthily during Ramadan.

Following Friday’s prayers, twenty-five screening booths staffed by trained diabetes nurses and educators were set up in the entrance hallway of the Imam Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab mosque. More than 1,000 worshippers visited the booths to get screened and receive a personalised analysis of results. The Grand Mosque was particularly busy with many people attending prayers led by the hugely popular Imam Mohammad Al Araifi.

The trained diabetes educators also provided recommendations on how to fast safely during Ramadan and reduce the risk of developing diabetes in the future. Brochures and educational information were also distributed to provide people with vital information on diabetes, the importance of early detection and tips on living a healthy lifestyle.

This hugely successful screening event will be repeated again on July 10th, providing another opportunity to deliver vital screening to large numbers of people.

Commenting on its success, Professor Abdul-Badi Abou-Samra, Chairman of Internal Medicine at Hamad Medical Cooperation, said:

“At HMC, we are committed to both taking all necessary steps to prevent diabetes and to helping those living with the disease to manage it and minimise the risk of developing dangerous diabetes complications. Screening programmes like this one play a hugely important role in raising awareness and educating people about the condition. We’re extremely pleased with the success of this programme and of our close partnership with Action on Diabetes. We look forward to delivering similar events in the future.”

Ahmed Al Kuwari, Technical Liaison Manager at Maersk Oil Qatar, said:

“Maersk Oil Qatar is a proud partner of Action on Diabetes and is committed to playing a role in combating one of the most prevalent health issues in Qatar. This screening programme at the Grand Mosque continues the success of our previous partnerships and screening activities that have taken place during Ramadan. We are committed to playing our part in raising awareness and educating the community on diabetes and helping reach as many people as possible through our initiatives.”

This year’s programme is one of several education, awareness and screening programmes led by Action on Diabetes – a public - private partnership set up in Qatar by Maersk Oil Qatar, Qatari health authorities and Novo Nordisk, a world leader in diabetes care – that will take place during Ramadan. Action on Diabetes is collaborating with a number of leading organisations across Qatar including the Supreme Council of Health, Hamad Medical Cooperation, Primary Healthcare Corporation and Qatar Diabetes Association to deliver a range of events designed to educate people with diabetes about precautions to observe while fasting, as well as how to manage their condition and medication effectively.

Herluf Nis Thomsen, Action on Diabetes Program Manager, said:

“We are delighted that the screenings at the Grand Mosque have been a great success. Early detection is of vital importance in the prevention and management of diabetes and such screening activities are hugely important in increasing peoples’ knowledge and spreading awareness about diabetes. We would like to extend our thanks to Hamad Medical Corporation for their partnership and to the Ministry of Endowment and Islamic Affairs for their cooperation on this initiative. We look forward to working together again in the future”.

For questions or enquiries related to diabetes during Ramadan, please contact the Qatar Diabetes Association hotline on 4454-7311 or 5527-4919 from 8:30am until 1:30pm. For medication instructions or more information, please contact the HMC & PHCC hotline on 5598-1331 from 8:00pm until 11:00pm.

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