The media report over the partnership did not indicate if the agreement is linked to the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Qatar’s Lekhwiya (internal security forces) and Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) are set to establish a training centre for the police entity’s personnel under a new agreement.
The two sides signed the cooperation agreement on Sunday by Lekhwiya’s Director of Medical Services Department Abdullah Al Shuraim, and HMC’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Director of the Medical Education Department Dr. Abdullatif Al Khal.
The training centre would be the fourth to be established outside of the HMC, joining the Ministry of Interior, QatarEnergy, and the Ministry of Defence.
Al Shuraim explained that the centre aims to provide rehabilitation and training of Lekhwiya’s medical personnel and staff in accordance with what Qatar News Agency (QNA) described as “the best international standards”.
The training centre’s establishment also helps achieve some of the Qatar National Vision 2030 by supporting the country’s National Health Strategy.
Commenting on the establishment of the centre, Dr. Al Khal noted that it is the first stage of further cooperation between the health and security entities. Dr. Al Khal himself has led Qatar’s efforts in combating Covid-19 after its outbreak in 2020.
The QNA report did not indicate if the agreement is linked to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, where at least 1.5 million people are set to flock to Doha next month.
However, the Gulf state has teamed up with its international partners in an effort to deliver a safe and secure World Cup. Some of the countries include Morocco, Jordan, the UK, the US, Italy among many others.
Seeking to boost health security, Qatar’s Ministry of Public Health and the World Health Organization teamed up to provide measures aimed at mitigating potential health rsisks during the sporting event.
Under the partnership, the two health entities would cooperate in risk assessment, mass collection techniques inside and outside of stadiums, event-based surveillance, and risk communications.
Since the start of the pandemic, Qatar succeeded at imposing policies to reduce the impact of Covid-19. The Gulf state was praised globally for maintaining one of the lowest coronavirus-linked mortality rates.
Earlier this month, Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation (QF), placed great emphasis on the link between sports and health.
Addressing the 2022 World Innovation Summit for Health, Sheikha Moza said sports projects can further inspire Qatar and the world in reshaping “perceptions of ways of building more efficient and comprehensive healthcare systems.”
“The strong connection that links our summit today to the World Cup is that of two core principles: health and sports,” said Sheikha Moza.
