Despite the limitations imposed by COVID-19, staff at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) Tobacco Control Center have continued to offer support and treatment services to tobacco-dependent patients wishing to quit smoking.
The centre’s services, which are currently being provided over the phone as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of COVID-19, include providing patients with treatment, medications and psychological support.
According to officials from the centre, during the last four months, between mid-March and mid-July, staff have conducted over 2,600 consultations and support sessions with tobacco-dependent patients. This milestone coincides with their third anniversary as a WHO Collaborating Centre.
In 2017, the HMC Tobacco Control Center was designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre, the first in Qatar and the region. WHO Collaborating Centres which also includes research institutes and parts of universities and academies, are designated to carry out activities in support of WHO’s mandated international health agenda.
While social distancing precautions remain in place, the HMC Tobacco Control Center will continue to offer telephone-based services. Their mission is to provide health and medical advice to the public on the dangers of tobacco use, including the dangers of second-hand smoke, in addition to behavioural support and counseling for those wishing to quit the habit.
Call 4025 4981 or 5080 0959 to book a consultation. You can also visit hamad.qa for more information.