DOHA: Qatar Red Crescent Society’s (QRCS) Patient Assistance Fund made remarkable achievements in 2017, serving as many as 354 patients with a budget of QR4.5m.

“This is added to 9,680 people who attended various health awareness events. Also, we have established several e-libraries at the health facilities of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), and we have held psychological support visits and events for hospitalised patients,” she explained.

This year, Al-Dosari revealed, the Fund is planned to help 324 patients, with an initial budget of QR3.8m. Those include 10 organ transplantations, 4 kidney failure cases, 80 Hepatitis C patients, 50 cardiac patients, 40 cochlear implants and hearing aids, 30 patients with rheumatism, 30 cases with autoimmune diseases, 30 prostheses, and coverage of treatment for 50 Syrian and Yemeni residents in Qatar.

“These figures are likely to rise in the coming years, by virtue of the generous donations of Qatari benevolent individuals and institutions,” she commented. The vision of QRCS’s health empowerment program is to help the patients who cannot afford the cost of treatment, by providing treatment, medication, medical equipment, travel costs, psychological support, and health education free of charge. This is part of the national health strategy, which seeks to extend the health care umbrella to everyone in Qatar.

To ensure maximum social security inclusion, QRCS coordinates with other medical and charitable institutions, such as HMC, Qatar Society for Rehabilitation of Special Needs, and the Zakat Fund.