Doha, Qatar, September 29, 2022 – Her Excellency Sheikha Hind bint Hamad Al Thani, Vice Chairperson and CEO of Qatar Foundation, donated blood today as part of Hamad Medical Corporation’s ongoing campaign “Qatar…It’s in Our Blood” and marking the launch of Doha Healthcare Week, hosted by the World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH).
Her Excellency Sheikha Hind was joined at Qatar Foundation (QF) Primary Health Care Center by Dr. Einas Al Kuwari, Chair of the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), who leads the national blood donation drive.
WISH is encouraging all eligible members of the community to donate blood during Doha Healthcare Week at several HMC-designated stations across the country, including Bayt Al Diyafah, Al Khor Mall, Msheireb Galleria, Al Wakra Health Center, and Sidra Medicine. The exact timings can be found here.
Doha Healthcare Week, which is being held in partnership with several local and international stakeholders, aims to engage the local community by offering a wide range of health and wellness activities for all ages. Alongside the blood donation drive, day one also saw the launch of two art exhibitions, curated by WISH and hosted at Doha Fire Station.
The first exhibit is photography collection by Qatar-based Mahmoud El Achi that captures the lives of two Qatari children with Down syndrome, highlighting disabilities and social inclusion. The second exhibition is titled “Father and Son”, which is based around a painting created during WISH 2018 by Colombian artist Dairo Vargas that showcases the necessity for strong support networks and significance of artistic expression for maintaining good mental health. Both will remain open until October 7.
Another popular event was Doha Film Institute’s screening of Jerry Rothwell’s award-winning film The Reason I Jump at the QF Recreation Centre. Visitors were able to learn more about autism through this documentary that draws in the voices of young people with the disorder.
At an art therapy session delivered by Naufar – a local rehabilitation center for substance abuse and addiction – at Qatar National Library (QNL), participants learned how nonverbal creative forms can help to communicate feeling and heal emotional trauma. Naufar is set to deliver several awareness sessions over the coming few days at QNL.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and to coincide with this Qatar Cancer Society is hosting a Pink Walkathon to take place during Doha Healthcare Week. The walk will happen on October 1 at QF’s Oxygen Park, and everyone is encouraged to take part, support the cause, and raise awareness of the disease through a series of engaging activities.
This year’s Doha Healthcare Week is sponsored by Celbrea®, a product of Welwaze Medical, a US-based medtech company founded to raise awareness and support women with their breast health, as well as aid in early detection of diseases like breast cancer.
The full program of the Doha Healthcare Week can be seen here.
WISH is the global health initiative of QF. The upcoming WISH 2022 takes place on October 4-6. To learn more or to join the summit virtually, visit https://2022.wish.org.qa/ or download the app WISH Qatar. The full agenda can be found here.