Massive Rush at Paediatric Emergency In Qatar

The H1N1 scare coupled with an actual rise in flu cases and other seasonal diseases with the beginning of winter have caused a surge in the number of visitors at the Paediatric Emergency in Al Sadd.

A majority of the visitors at the facility do not actually need emergency care, but they prefer to go there, despite the huge rush, expecting better and faster care to their children, says its director Dr Khalid Al Ansari.

Opening of satellite centres in Al Rayyan and the Airport Area has not helped reduce the pressure on this main facility, added the official. The facility caters to children aged up to 14 years.

The Emergency recently set up a separate clinic for H1N1 cases. Any child that comes with flu-like symptoms has been referred to this clinic for diagnosis and treatment.

“We have created an isolation area for such cases so that the other patients would not be exposed to the risk of being infected. We have been receiving 160 to 200 cases daily since opening of the clinic, which has gone up to 250 during the Eid holidays, said Al Ansari.

The flu cases include a number of suspected H1N1 cases, that have been treated at the clinic. Most patients are sent home after giving medication and they recover fast. None of the H1N1 cases reported to the clinic were of a serious nature, added the official.

“Our focus is to provide quality care. We don’t turn back any patient, seeking our service. The Al Sadd Emergency remains crowded through out the year perhaps because people have more trust in our services.

We have been constantly upgrading our facilities with more qualified staff and more advanced equipment,  said Al Ansari.

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