Doha                                                                                                                                                                                                    20 Dec 2017

Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, Minister of Public Health and Sheikh Abdulla Bin Saoud Al Thani, Governor Qatar Central Bank and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sports and Social Activities Support Fund (Daam), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) this afternoon that advances the care of patients in Qatar who no longer need to be in hospital but require long-term, inpatient medical treatment.

The MoU will see the establishment of the Daam Specialized Care Center. The donation from Daam covers one hundred percent of the costs to retrofit and commission the new facility, which has already commenced construction in Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City. The new facility, which will join Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) existing Enaya Specialized Care Centers, is expected to open in late 2019 and will have 67 beds. It will expand the capacity of the current Enaya facilities while also providing more privacy for patients who require long-term medical care outside of the hospital setting.

Speaking during the MoU signing ceremony, Her Excellency Dr. Al Kuwari thanked Daam for their donation and applauded the organization for recognizing the importance of investing in the country’s long-term medical care infrastructure.

“The focus of our inpatient specialized care centers is to provide an advanced care system for patients who are well enough to be discharged from hospital but still require specialized medical treatment that is often long term. The aim of these facilities is to create a comforting, home-like environment in the community. A space that provides the best quality patient-centered medical care while supporting patients in regaining or maintaining optimal levels of functioning,” said Her Excellency Dr. Al Kuwari.

The first Enaya Specialized Care Center opened in 2010. Then called the Skilled Nursing Facility, it was the first of its kind in the region, providing round-the-clock monitoring and treatment from specialist nurses and doctors. Five years later, the facility was expanded to meet the needs of the country’s growing population and in 2015 the Enaya Specialized Care Centers 1 and 2 officially opened. Today, the facilities provide a healing environment with over 150 patient beds. Once opened, the Daam Specialized Care Center will strengthen the capabilities of these existing facilities. The facilities will be connected via a link bridge, allowing for efficiencies in staffing, equipment, and space.

Daam has been an important partner for healthcare development in the country, previously providing financial support for the expanded, two-story Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) annex at Women’s Hospital.

His Excellency Sheikh Abdullah Bin Saoud Al Thani, Governor of Qatar Central Bank and Chairman of The Social and Sport Contribution Fund (Daam) praised the leading role of HMC, and stressed that the partnership between Daam and HMC serves the welfare of the people of Qatar.

“Funding the Daam Specialized Care Center is in line with achieving Daam’s vision of integrated social development that benefits people lives on all levels. World-class healthcare is a pillar of Qatar’s National Vision 2030, and also a key feature of the life we at Daam aim at granting to people,” His Excellency said.

“At Daam, we believe that initiatives such as this are at the core of our work as a major contribution and support entity. We have previously supported various projects with HMC and we will continue our partnership for as long as we share mutual goals and objectives, leading to effective and sustained development.”

Mr Mahmoud Al Raisi, Chief of Continuing Care at HMC, Dr. Hanadi Khamis Mubarak Al Hamad, Chairman of Geriatrics at HMC and Mr. Abdul Rahman Al Mannai, Deputy Executive Director of Daam, also spoke during the MoU signing ceremony.

In recent years, HMC has made major strides towards redefining continuing care in Qatar. In addition to the two existing Enaya Specialized Care Centers, the Corporation operates two community-based facilities in Muaither and a busy multi-disciplinary Home Healthcare Service which currently cares for over 1,600 patients across Qatar.