Holders of Hayya card will have access to emergency and urgent healthcare services in Qatar

In Qatar, anyone who have a Hayya card for the FIFA World Cup 2022 will have access to urgent and emergency medical care services. According to Dr. Soha Al Bayat, who oversees the department’s health protection and communicable disease control, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH)

Speaking during a World Health Organisation (WHO) webinar on “Making Mega Sporting Events Safe and Healthy” on Monday, Dr Al Bayat said, “All the fans coming for the World Cup will have the opportunity to access emergency and urgent healthcare services in Qatar, including rapid antigen testing, even if they are not residents of the country, throughout the tournament. That is one of the reasons why the MoPH is setting up testing facilities in several areas in the country for it to be accessible to all. ”

She said that the rapid antigen testing is available in all the 28 government health centers plus at least 100 private clinics.

“We are also planning to set up centers and booths for rapid antigen testing in all the fan zones across Qatar, which will be accessible to everyone at a very affordable cost during the tournament,” she added.

She noted that there are no mandatory vaccinations for any fans entering Qatar for the World Cup, but there will be recommended vaccines.

“Since the tournament happens to be in the winter season, we highly recommend people get their seasonal influenza vaccinations as well as their COVID-19 vaccines, if they are not up to date with them.” There might be other vaccines in general which are advised during travel anywhere in the world as well as during mass gatherings, like the FIFA World Cup, for example the meningitis vaccine, the measles vaccine, but the most recommended will be the seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccines,” Dr Al Bayat said.

On the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic on preparations for the World Cup, the top vaccination expert said that the pandemic has affected Qatar just like the rest of the world but that the health authorities have been working very hard in collaboration with various partners in the country as well as international partners like the WHO, in putting the necessary plans in place to mitigate its effects.

“We’ve put plans and strategies in place since the first phase of the pandemic was announced in the region at the end of 2019. “These plans were all scientific and evidence-based, and we have flexibility in our strategy to move with the new information that comes to light at any time,” she said.

She noted that the strategies and plans that were put in place by Qatar have proven to be successful, and that has led to Qatar having one of the lowest rates of COVID-19 mortalities and having one of the highest vaccine coverages in the world.

“We’ve kind of gone back to normal life, but that doesn’t mean that COVID-19 is over. We’ve continued to strengthen all our existing plans when it comes to the risk of communicable diseases. Such a mass gathering like the World Cup has the risk of outbreaks of not just COVID-19 but other diseases as well, and we’ve been planning for this for years since we were awarded the hosting rights. Our plans have been going on for the past 10 years. COVID-19 only sped up these plans and helped to further enhance it, ” she said.

She added that the MoPH, in collaboration with the WHO, had been putting up plans against any possible risks during the tournament.

“We’ve focused on intensifying our awareness messaging to both the visitors as well as the local community on how to protect themselves and to practice healthy behaviour in general. That’s why the travel policies were put in place. We already have a robust surveillance system in Qatar that will enable us to quickly identify any risks and outbreaks, not just COVID 19, but any communicable disease, and that enables us to respond very quickly to help control it and prevent it from spreading and becoming a major outbreak. ”

She noted that Qatar has very robust track and trace capabilities that enable the health authorities to move into action very quickly when a disease is reported.

“With what we have put in place, we are assured of a safe tournament not only for the visitors but the host community as well,” she said.

Dr Al Bayat said that last year’s FIFA Arab Cup, held in Qatar from November 30 to December 18, was like a mini drill for the country, especially the health authorities, as it enabled them to test their preparations for the World Cup.

“The tournament happened about the same winter period last year and it was successful as we didn’t record any major incidents or outbreaks throughout. I believe that the Arab Cup has proven to us, the world and the visitors coming for the World Cup that you can have a great sporting event with such a gathering and have fun and enjoy it while at the same time maintaining a healthy and safe environment. ”

Addressing the issue of how the World Cup in Qatar can help play a major role in helping mega events around the world host safe and healthy events, Dr Al Bayat noted that the World Cup in Qatar has many firsts.

This is a first for this region of the world. It will be hosted in the winter for the first time, bringing with it the problems of the season, like as the flu and other viruses, but MoPH, FIFA, and the WHO are making extensive preparations to prevent or lessen the likelihood of any illness epidemic.

Dr. Al Bayat continued, “I am convinced that the tournament will leave a fantastic legacy and show people that Qatar can organize such a major event while still being safe during the pandemic in a different season.”