QATAR has been witnessing a steady decline in the number of people contracting the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) for the last couple of weeks. The frontline healthcare workers in the country with their tireless and dedicated efforts under the leadership of the Ministry of Public Health were able to flatten the curve and keep its decline steady for sometime now.
It is a great achievement for any country which is struggling with the pandemic as most of them are staring at the stark reality that the management of the pandemic is often overwhelming their capacities and facilities.
When COVID-19 came calling on its shores, Qatar was well prepared to confront the pandemic with all its forces, mobilising not only healthcare capabilities, but also involving all the government and public agencies, building new purpose-built hospitals, temporary treatment facilities, developing infrastructure facilities, recruiting volunteers, beginning local production of equipment and essential medical supplies etc.
All the efforts to mitigate and control the pandemic in Qatar has been done under the crucial and efficient supervision of the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management, the efforts of which has contributed considerably in combating the pandemic drawing the attention of other countries and prominent international organisations in medical field. Recently the last patient from the dedicated COVID-19 hospital in Mesaieed was discharged and the facility started admitting other patients.
All these efforts with full cooperation of the lawabiding people in the country resulted in the timely management of the pandemic. Qatar could avoid a so-called second wave or third wave of the scare which has become a real threat in several other countries, including those nations which boast of their achievements in the field of healthcare science. But Qatar is not planning to rest on its laurels, instead the country is still redoubling its efforts to eradicate the virus from the country. Recently, the Primary Healthcare Corporation announced to open yet another drive-through COVID-19 test center in addition to the three dedicated such facilities.
The offices are gradually starting working with almost full capacity and normal life is returning with most of the outdoor activities are allowed. Crisis management is nothing new to Qatar, as the country had come out unscathed through several challenges in the past and COVID-19 was just another crisis, though with an entirely different nature with multi-faceted challenges.
Qatar’s efforts in confronting the pandemic deserve standing ovation as the country stands apart with several records with one of the lowest death rate, recovery rate of more than 96 percent etc. Out of the total 107,430 total virus cases 104,191 patients recovered and only 3,079 patients are undergoing treatment, a statistics of which the country can be really proud of.
