HMC Organizes Workshop with WHO to Enhance Elderly Care in Iraq

Doha: Hamad Medical Corporation's (HMC) Department of Geriatrics and Long-Term Care, which has been appointed as a WHO Collaborating Centre for Healthy Ageing and Dementia in Qatar, under the auspices of the Ministry of Public Health, led and hosted a 3-day training workshop for integrated care for older people (ICOPE). In attendance were 21 specialist multidisciplinary delegates from Iraq as well as clinicians from Qatar in order to undergo capacity building and foster learning exchange. The main aim was to be inspired by Qatar's current ICOPE implementation strategy and be a support system to implement a similar model in Iraq. Dr. Al Abdulla Al Ansari, Chief Medical Officer of Hamad Medical Corporation said, "Choosing Qatar as the first pilot site in the Middle Eastern region is a great honor, and I appreciate the education and knowledge investment that Dr. Hanadi Al Hamad, a National Lead of ICOPE with her team have made in sharing their expertise and helping to train our primary care teams involved in t his amazing project. This is a real demonstration of what collaboration can achieve that is based on a joint commitment to deliver the best evidence-based care to our older population and now in extension in Iraq." Dr. Hanadi Al Hamad, National Health Strategy Lead for Healthy Ageing in Qatar, explained Qatar and the World has a growing elderly population, promoting healthy aging is both nationally and in the region a priority commitment of our center. "ICOPE (Integrated Care for Older People) -Care Model reflects a Unique community-based approach that will help to reorient health and social services towards a more person-centered and coordinated model of care that supports the optimizing functional ability for older people," She stated. Expressing her thanks for our Excellent Primary Care Services, she added, that here in Qatar working in close collaboration with our Primary Care services our department of geriatrics at HMC with our WHO Centre has taken the lead in setting up the 1st ICOPE Clinic in the ent ire Middle East Region. With the expertise of Qatar's ICOPE Clinic services, also being the first and only ICOPE Clinic in the world that is integrated with the country's electronic medical records, WHO EMRO approached our WHO Collaboration Centre to provide capacity-building support to Iraq for implementation of ICOPE Project in Iraq. Source: Qatar News Agency