The COVID-19 pandemic is continuing to have an impact on the physical and mental well-being of those in Qatar. Although it is important to reevaluate how healthcare is delivered to patients, it is essential that healthcare professionals are also supported during these difficult times.

Dr. Zachariah Nazar, Qatar University-Health CPD coordinator pointed out that continued professional development (CPD) is the key to ensuring that COVID’s legacy does not become an injustice for the health sector.

Patients discharged from the health centers, hospitals and clinics are being discharged with the best possible outcomes even in times of uncertainty and constant change. The responsibility lies with caregivers and there is a need to support these heroes.

As a result, QU-health is focusing on providing regular and targeted CPD as it is a cornerstone for managing organizational change, delivering on improved standards and performance. It is a message indicating that health care investment in staff is equally valued as a patient’s health outcomes.

Medical staffs have been working tirelessly to provide aid to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, often with inadequate information to support new models for delivering care, for remote consultations, implementing new treatment guidelines, and establishing systems to maintain essential resources.

It has been identified that additional training could greatly benefit health workers, providing them with a change in perspective.

According to Dr. Zachariah Nazar, “the idea of taking time out of the hectic day, with its innumerous demands, maybe unthinkable for some. It’s therefore essential that professional development adapts too and that is why QU-Health has purposefully designed CPD sessions into 1-2-hour interactive Webinars that are extremely inclusive and freely accessible and allow professionals from different organizations to come together to share knowledge and experiences; supported by subject experts.”

QU-Health has partnered with HMC and experts from various institutes to identify the gaps in the learning and training requirements of healthcare professionals. Moreover, a series of open-access CPD Webinars have been put together by QU-Health to address this matter and encourage a community of learning and knowledge sharing among healthcare workers in Qatar.

Delivered by a panel of experts, the most recent webinar includes a 6-part research skills series and sessions targeted at managing stressors and encouraging mindfulness as coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These series are live-streamed on YouTube and are accessible to anyone across the world. It is a part of QU-Health’s initiative in supporting the optimization of healthcare provision in Qatar and beyond.

To know more about their initiatives, please visit qu.edu.qa

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