DOHA: The Central Municipal Council (CMC) has called on authorities to consider setting up more emergency units at health centres to ease congestion at Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Emergency Department.
The CMC discussed the issue at its weekly meeting yesterday, based on a report prepared by its public services and utilities committee on problems facing citizens visiting the Emergency Department.
The report was prepared by CMC’s Vice-Chairman, Engineer Jassim bin Abdullah Al Malki.
It cited problems, including long waiting in the reception area to see physicians and for laboratory tests. It suggested that officials at the department take a serious note of complaints about staff neglecting patients.
The report acknowledged some challenges at the department, especially the large turnout of patients. This has to be addressed by prioritising cases based on seriousness and expanding the emergency units at Al Wakra and Al Khor hospitals.
Other recommendations included opening more units and treatment rooms to avoid congestion in one unit, increasing hospital beds and providing free parking for emergency patients. Only a medical staff should deal with a patient, especially in critical conditions.
The CMC also recommended that procedures for citizens to receive the bodies of their loved ones be made easier and called on authorities to conduct a feasibility study on establishing an office of the public prosecution at HMC.
The council reiterated its demand to transfer maintenance of internal roads from the Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning to the Public Works Authority — Ashghal — to avoid overlapping and study the possibility of opening up Ashghal offices in municipalities to follow up on maintenance works.
It recommended a fine of not more than 10 percent on contractors for not completing projects on schedule. Other measures should include withdrawal of the project and termination of the contract.
To a query from Councillor Khalifa Hashim Al Saada, the media consultant from Ashghal said work on the Rawdat Al Rashid Project would start next month.
The Peninsula
