DOHA: A new community-based mental health centre of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) was officially inaugurated yesterday by H E Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Prime Minister and Interior Minister.
The new Enaya Continuing Care Centre in Muaither aims to provide psychosocial healthcare outside the hospital scale.
The Premier toured the new centre and was briefed about its facilities and services which include healthcare and psychosocial support for children, adults and the elderly.
Enaya is an important development for psychological health services provided in Qatar, with mental health care for children and teenagers, and a day care programme for women designed for women who are above 18 years who suffer long-term psychological problems.
The centre also houses a female adult day care programme that is specifically designed for women over the age of 18 who are experiencing long term mental health issues, as well as a female residential service for women with more complex mental needs who require healthcare support but not acute care.
Community outreach services are also offered at the facility including an adult mental health outreach team that provides at-home services including follow up and recovery support to patients who have experienced mental health problems. A similar support service is also available for older members of the community, which is designed to provide mental health support, continuity of care, and a variety of medical therapies in the home.
H E Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, Minister of Public Health and HMC’s Managing Director
said: “The benefit of community-based care options for the treatment of mental health issues are vast; a community setting is widely recognised as more beneficial for specific cases, particularly those patients who are in a rehabilitation or recovery phase.”
“While hospital-based care can sometimes be necessary for patients with acute conditions, there is clear evidence to show that a number of conditions are best supported in the community, which is why HMC is developing community-based care options,” she added.
Enaya is the name given to a number of continuing care services offered by HMC. These services include a Specialised Care Centre in Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City and a community-based, male-only residential compound also located in Muaither, according to HMC Chief of Continuing Care Group Mahmoud Al Raisi.
“Providing continuing care options in a community-based setting is a key HMC goal that has been informed by the Qatar National Mental Health Strategy, and the new Muaither facility recognizes the need to move appropriate services to these settings, while emphasizing preventative models of mental health care. HMC is in preliminary stages of opening similar centres in other parts of Doha and the rest of Qatar following the successful implementation of this model of care,” Al Raisi added.
The Peninsula
