PPE

QRCS pays attention to ensuring the highest safety and prevention standards for all its staff and volunteers. All protective supplies were secured such as masks, gloves, shoe covers, face masks, and full personal protective clothing. They received training to use these supplies and were informed about social distancing and regular sanitization of the body and personal belongings.

Social Distancing

In the aftermath of the crisis, QRCS’s first concern was to ensure the safety of its employees. Measures were taken, including work from home and health protective instructions, through official announcements and video messages from senior executives.

Disinfection

All QRCS’s premises, branches, and medical and administrative offices were fully disinfected. At the entrance of each building, a paramedic was stationed to measure the temperature of those employees who had to attend at office to manage the Coronavirus response.​

Medical Professionals

The Medical Affairs Division has a medical workforce of 795 physicians, first responders, nurses, technicians, health educators, and trainers, all certified by MOPH Department of Healthcare Professions (DHP).

Ambulance Fleet

Put at MOPH’s disposal, QRCS has an emergency ambulance service of 50 multi-size, fully-equipped, and regularly disinfected vehicles, run by well-trained first responders. They are deployed by HMC and Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) to transport the patients. Some ambulance vehicles are stationed at the quarantine facilities in Mekaines, Abu Sidra, and Umm Qarn.

Volunteers

Early in the crisis, a Volunteer for Qatar campaign was launched, with a wide public response. Recruiting over 14,200 young women and men from all walks of life, the drive was inspired by a desire to support the government’s efforts against the disease, by encouraging the Qatari and non-Qatari youths to extend help for those who need care and psychological support as the virus went more and more widespread. QRCS capitalized on the expertise and competences of many graduates of its annual Disaster Management Camp (DMC), which involved theoretical and practical training in a wide range of humanitarian skills.

Training and Development Center

To ensure the safety and reliability of volunteers, QRCS’s Training and Development Center held training courses on many topics related to their field work, instructed by specialized and certified trainers. These topics included how to use infection preventive tools, public health education, proper handling of patients, and psychological support for quarantined persons.

Media Operations Room

QRCS created a media operations room to keep updated, gather information, coordinate with the Supreme Committee for Crisis Management and other concerned authorities, and supervise documentation and media coverage.

Social Media

Modern public communication platforms were employed effectively. The produced informative and media content was published on 11 social media channels, varying from written to multimedia messages in nine languages, to address the largest audience possible. Materials produced by World Health Organization (WHO) and MOPH were also republished.

1. Sign Language

   The first-of-its-kind move in Qatar, sign language was used in QRCS’s Coronavirus awareness messages to reach out to persons with special needs.​
   

Health Education

In an immediate response to the Coronavirus outbreak, QRCS’s health education team redoubled its awareness and preventive work under the umbrella of MOPH’s labor and communication committee. A multifaceted action plan was outlined to promote healthy behavior and hygiene awareness among people of different walks of life, to control the Coronavirus and other infectious diseases. Over the course of the COVID-19 response, lectures and training courses were organized for the benefit of volunteers, cleaning workers, expatriate laborers, security individuals, and other professionals.

Other achievements included publishing six types of awareness printouts, totaling 730 touchless stickers and fixed and animated promotional materials, as well as designing a COVID-19 awareness brochure in three languages (Arabic, English, and Hindi), which was then posted on the websites of QRCS and other interested companies and organizations.

Distance Learning

Both in Arabic and English, there were recorded and live online informative workshops. Psychological support sessions were held for the inmates at Mekaines. The list of productions extended to include a series of 13 sessions titled ‘Protect Your Health – COVID-19’ and some 30 health messages on COVID-19 preventive tips, with a wide reach on QRCS’s social media.​

Help Me to Help You

QRCS launched the Help Me to Help You, a volunteering initiative to protect society members against infection while visiting megastores, by helping the staff in regulating entry and exit in a manner that ensures the highest safety. They do thermal testing, distribute masks and gloves, and check the Ehteraz app as per the government directions.

The initiative involved over 2,000 volunteers, who are divided into field groups managed by 16 leaders and 86 supervisors. They are stationed in many hypermarkets to inform the consumers about the precautions they have to follow while shopping, such as social distancing. This way is helpful in avoiding crowds and ensuring an easier shopping experience. In advance, the volunteers were trained in how to deal with the consumers of diverse languages and backgrounds.

Quarantine Facilities

A total of 869 qualified volunteers were utilized in managing quarantine hotels. At Mekaines, there were 195 volunteers to help the working groups in their tasks, including, but not limited to, medical care, security, catering, cleaning, logistics, maintenance and repair, and psychological support.

The great work done by volunteers at Mekaines quarantine facility was commended by everyone who visited the place, including QRCS’s senior management, officials from government health authorities, and representatives of supporting companies and organizations. They worked very hard despite the high risk of infection. All protections were available for the volunteers, such as masks, gloves, foot covers, face shields, medical gowns, and personal protective equipment (PPE).

Support to Government

Together with Community Police, 213 volunteers informed the public and shop owners about the preventive measures announced by the government, distributed protective supplies, and made sure that majlises and shops were closed. Another 418 volunteers took part in the Ministry of Municipality and Environment’s (MME) activities of street and district disinfection, hygiene monitoring and inspection at restaurants and enterprises, and distribution of food aid to the families affected by the lockdown.

Miscellaneous Tasks

There were other tasks done by the volunteers, depending on their respective specializations and experience. They lent a hand in administrative, logistic, and media work (photography, editing, translation, and video production). Some specialized in public relations, international relations, psychological support, and health education.

Restoring Family Links

As a form of psychological support and restoring family links (RFL), QRCS provided mobile recharge cards to the registered beneficiaries to contact their families in their own home countries.

Psychological Support

QRCS paid great attention to the morale of the patients and suspected cases, who were negatively affected by being isolated from their families for two weeks. A group of trained volunteers was created to be in touch with the inmates, support their mental health, and suggest useful ideas for them to spend time during isolation. Support was given also to the workers at Mekaines, in order to reduce stress and motivate them to continue working in high spirits.

Every day, health education sessions, exercising, competitions, and fun activities were held for the patients at Mekaines. This strategy successfully overcame their fear and anxiety, improved their physical and emotional health, and allowed them to vent any negative emotions and adopt a positive attitude that would eventually lead to recovery.

1. Your Book Is Your Best Friend

   In cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and Sports’ (MCS) Qatari Publishers and Distributors Forum, mental support is given to the quarantined patients by launching Your Book Is Your Best Friend, an initiative designed to encourage reading during the isolation period, as a form of community participation in the battle against the Coronavirus.

   Coordinated with the concerned organizations, the initiative had two parts. First, a big collection of works contributed by Qatari publishers were uploaded online, so that users can read them for free. Second, hard copies of these works were made available at the quarantine facilities across the country, to be used by the inmates being in isolation.​
   

Workers’ Health Centers

Under the supervision of the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH), QRCS operates four Workers’ Health Centers in Mesaimeer, the New Industrial Area, Fereej Abdul-Aziz, and Zekreet. During the crisis, the health facilities continued to perform their normal work, through nine clinics in various specialties — GP, ENT, cardiothoracic, dental, ophthalmology, dermatology, urgent cases, lab, X-ray, and pharmacy.

As a precaution, medical workers were stationed at entrances of the premises for thermal testing. Multilingual health education messages are available at waiting areas, through the staff and the display monitors installed in different parts of the health facilities.

As the situation worsened, a Coronavirus swabbing center was opened at Al-Hemailah Health Center, followed by another one at Fereej Abdulaziz Health Center. They conducted an average of 800-1,000 swabs per day, or 300-400 each. Then, the swabs were sent to Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Virology Laboratory.

Outdoor Support Stations

Working 24/7, 10 outdoor support stations were deployed to conduct vital signs testing, take the quarantine measures for suspected cases, and provide ambulance services. They were run by 1,011 medical professionals.

Quarantine Locations

QRCS’s medical professionals and volunteers took part in running 37 quarantine locations, mainly in Mekaines, Hazm Mebaireek, Umm Qarn, and many hotels. Nine medical services were provided 24/7, including reception, testing, and referrals, as well as psychological, logistic, and administrative support.

1. Mekaines Quarantine Facility

   The Mekaines quarantine facility is the largest in Qatar established in the context of COVID-19 control. QRCS was assigned by MOPH to fully operate the facility as of mid-March 2020 until 21 July 2020. Then, it was transformed into Mekaines Motel, where QRCS provides only medical services. It made better-than-expected results, due to the organization’s experience in disaster management, emergency shelter, and medical services for workers.

   The facility works 24/7 to receive the referrals from HMC, secure all requirements for comfortable and safe accommodation, and keep the inmates under constant observation, particularly those with chronic diseases. The medical personnel carry out clinical examinations and provide health care and medications up to the highest medical standards. QRCS’s ambulance vehicles were also deployed to transport the patients, in cooperation with HMC.

Field Groups

A medical group made field tours for health screening in many districts, companies, and organizations, such as Nakilat and Qatar Cultural and Heritage Events Center (QCHEC), in coordination with MOPH and HMC. Also, health education was provided for the public. Another group was deployed in the Industrial Area, to conduct health screening, vital signs testing, and swabbing.​