DOHA: The number of children with complex chronic medical conditions has increased in Qatar and some 40 kids are receiving treatment at a special clinic at Hamad General Hospital (HGH).
Some children were born prematurely with several complications, some have such problems due to generic reasons and others fell sick after road accidents, said Dr Ahmed Hassan Alhammadi (pictured), Consultant, Head of General Paediatrics Division and Associate Programme Director of Paediatrics at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).
“Kids with complex chronic medical conditions live on machines, some live until 20 years of age, so we provide all support for them and the family,” he added.
Children with complex chronic conditions have a lot in common in term of multi-system involvement, multiple medications, multiple speciality input, frequent and prolonged hospital admissions, dependency on advanced technology, a need for optimal coordination of care and monitoring.
The Department of General Paediatrics at HGH opened Paediatric complex chronic care clinic last year to help children living with multiple complex chronic conditions and life-limiting diseases.
The clinic has helped relieve the burden of care coordination on families and improve the health status of children with complex chronic medical conditions by delivering better, more cohesive care to them, reducing visits to the emergency department and lowering and shortening their inpatient stays.
“These children need admission to hospital more often, but the clinic has helped them reduce it,” said Dr Alhammadi.
“When a child is referred to us we decide within 48 hours if we can provide treatment or advise parents where to take the child,” he added.
Dr Alhammadi stressed the need for more centres to train and educate children with special needs.
However, around six children with complex chronic medical conditions have been admitted to regular schools.
“These children go to schools on wheelchair with parent or guardian, they can’t actually follow lessons but get active with the atmosphere,” said Dr Alhammadi.
The clinic is held on Tuesdays.
It has a HGH paediatrician with recognised expertise in complex care who is supported by colleagues from nursing, social work, occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy.
Each clinic session is preceded by a pre-meeting where patients referred to and booked into the clinic meet the clinic team.
Before and after each patient attends the clinic, nurses co-ordinate across clinical professional groups to obtain inputs from the relevant sub-specialists and allied health professionals.
The Peninsula
