Officials and children who took part in the workshop.
DOHA: Helping young patients deal with their illnesses and treatment through art and play was discussed at a recent workshop held by Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), in collaboration with Qatar Museums Authority and Sheik Eid Charitable Society.
The workshop was led by Italian artist, Marianne Hilman and focused on how to encourage children to use art and craft to express themselves.
This kind of creative activity can help ease the stress of illness and treatment and enables them to express themselves and what they are going through. Physicians, social workers, nurses, children and parents attended the special workshop.
Head of Corporate Social Responsibility at HMC, Aisha Al Khulaifi, who coordinated the workshop, said the event was aimed at equipping those who work with younger patients with ways to help children cope with their illnesses.
“This is an important part of the treatment and recovery process for children and is an innovative way for them to deal with the stress of their illness or condition,” Al Kulaifi said.
She said the workshop was the second one facilitated by HMC in the use of art therapy in the recovery process and Hamad would continue to work with community partners to develop similar events. Children’s Programmes Coordinator at HMC, Fatima Jassim, said there were many similar activities used by clinicians, nurses, social worker and others dealing with sick children which have become an integral part of their treatment and recovery.
Head of the Medical Unit at Sheik Eid Charitable Society, Dr Mazin Al Hajiri, stressed the importance of recognizing the psychological aspect of treating young patients. “Children definitely benefit from events and activities like this as they boost morale and aids the recovery process,” Dr Al Hajiri said. HMC is the principal public healthcare provider for the State of Qatar. The Corporation manages eight hospitals along with further specialist clinical, educational and research facilities, and is growing in capacity each year around the diverse needs of the evolving population.
The Corporation was the first public healthcare system outside the United States to achieve Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation for all hospitals simultaneously. JCI accreditation is based on quality and safety across all clinical and management functions.
HMC is also the first hospital system in the Middle East to achieve institutional accreditation from the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education - International (ACGME-I), which demonstrates excellence in the way medical graduates are trained through residency, internship and fellowship programmes.
The Peninsula
