DOHA: Efforts are under way to develop a coordinated national procedure for handling of child abuse cases in Qatar.
The national process will apply to Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Sidra Medical and Research Centre (Sidra) as well as medical services and healthcare institutions.
The issue was discussed at a recent three-day workshop organized by HMC and Sidra which also dealt with protection of children against abuse and violence in homes and within the community. It was titled: “Protect us Young, We will Protect You Old”.
Dr Khalid Mohamed Al Ansari, Director, Paediatric Emergency Services, HMC, and Division Chief of Emergency Medicine, Sidra, said, “As healthcare providers, we have a very important role to play in developing and expanding the framework to prevent and eliminate child abuse and neglect. This workshop is the beginning of a long term collaboration between stakeholders from various organizations involved in dealing with issues of child abuse in the country.”
“ We don’t want to wait until it is too late – that is once the child is abused or complains of abuse. We would like to act even before it happens and also take preventive measures by putting in place workflows and systems to coordinate all child protection services. Most importantly, it is also about educating the community that the problem of abuse is present and that we all need to work together to take action and protect our children,” he added.
The workshop included discussions about putting in place a national process to address all kinds of child abuse (physical, sexual, and psychological abuse and child neglect) and the various government and support services required to handle cases. There were sessions that reviewed child abuse incidences in the country and how to improve services offered in the case of abuse.
HMC staff across Paediatric Emergency Centres in Qatar have been trained on how to spot child abuse cases.
If there is concern about a child being abused, parents or guardians are advised to bring them to the Paediatric Emergency Centre where a qualified team of child care specialists will diagnose the child and conduct medical checks.
They will also ensure that the child and their family are directed to the right authorities so that the case is handled in the most humane and sensitive manner, without impacting on their rights or privacy.
Besides HMC, Sidra and the participating bodies included Primary Health Care Corporation, Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs, Mental Health Friends Association (WEYAK), Human Rights Department, Police Department and Medical Service Department (Forensic) at the Ministry of Interior, Supreme Judiciary Council, Community Policing, National Human Rights Committee (NHRC), Family Prosecution, Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Qatar Foundation for the Protection of Women and Children, Social Rehabilitation Centre, Qatar Petroleum and Al Ahli Hospital.
The Peninsula
