Dr. Waleed Khalid Al-Zadjali, President of Oman Medical Association (OMA) is keeping a keen eye on the speedy spread of the COVID-19 pandemic globally. It has certainly affected the entire health, social and economic structure, and created a panic among the healthcare system worldwide. According to him, OMA is in a race to explore all possible ways to lessen its impact on the systems. In conversation with us, Dr. Waleed shares his views about fighting against COVID-19 in association with AdLife Hospital.
What measures did you take to address the COVID-19 outbreak?
We at Oman Medical Association take pride in extending the Association’s social and professional responsibility to the national effort in the fight against COVID-19. In order to support this fight against the pandemic, we launched called Muafaa, a special initiative approved by the Ministry of Health (MoH), the directorate of private health establishment. Our aim was to establish and operate a field hospital to help treat mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 patients.
Under the Muafaa initiative, we had a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the owner of AdLife hospital in Al-Amerat to utilise the hospital premises and facilities for Covid-19 cases on a temporary basis. The hospital is well equipped with 64 beds, 4 Intensive care beds, radiology, medical laboratory service.
What considerations were involved in setting up the temporary hospital?
As I mentioned earlier, OMA and AdLife Hospital signed a MOU to utilize the facility and manage operations of the hospital. The owner of AdLife Hospital, Dr. Thomas Alexander, was supportive of the mission and facilitated a smooth transition. The board of OMA and its technical team, along with a representative from the Directorate General of Private Health Establishment and Al Nahdha Hospital inspected the hospital to ensure that the facility is fit for operation and would be a safe environment for the patients and the healthcare workers.
It was a significant challenge to operate and provide all logistic, financial, administrative support, and all the material required to have safe practice especially the personal protective equipment (PPEs). Oman Medical Association board recruited the hospital management board from the OMA board and supportive paramedics to set up the strategic and operational plan of the field hospital. The hospital management OMA board oversees the administrative and finance, human resources, and clinical affairs as well as quality assurance. The goal is to run the service meeting the national and international standards of care. The hospital management put a structural plan to ensure that the setup was meeting the standard of safety. Further steps were undertaken to ensure smooth operations and to make the orientation and training sessions about safety pathways. Moreover, an inspection by the infection control team in collaboration with the Ministry of Health was conducted to ensure that the hospital adheres to the infection prevention and control guidelines.
What support did you receive from different entities and individuals towards the start of this hospital for COVID-19 patients?
Initially, it was a challenge to recruit resources to start operations. With the help of a marketing team, today the hospital is run by volunteers from diverse professional backgrounds including medicine, nursing, radiology, laboratory technicians, administration, finance, and support staff.
We are overwhelmed by the support we received through many individuals and organizations and salute their efforts. They have all effortlessly and generously volunteered their time to take care of the patients. These are our real heroes to fight as the frontliners and are facing the risk of managing this outbreak. We also would like to thank our partners and generous sponsors and pray to Almighty Allah to protect us and keep the world safe from any pandemics and disasters.
What are some of the plans initiated by OMA to spread awareness among the society and support the healthcare sector?
As part of the Muafaa initiative, OMA launched several other initiatives to help raise the public and healthcare awareness about the pandemic. Some of them include awareness campaigns through videos and awareness workshops in companies that talk about social distancing and precautions such as hand washing, occupational health standards and other topics.
We have also established occupational procedure for company workers, camps, and visits to sites in collaboration with other technical personnel from other sectors. We also provide safety guidelines and measures to ensure appropriate personal protective equipment are made available to the health care workers. At OMA, we have also made a supply of chronic diseases medication to around 500 community members who were locked down in Muttrah in collaboration with Dar Al Atta.
Does OMA offer any other services to keep the patients safe?
We provide a wide range of mental health services to the public and healthcare workers. We have a psychiatrist and psychologist available for the public to address various psychological issues. As we go through these difficult times, we strongly encourage all categories of people, young and old, to look after their mental health and physical health.
What advice would you give to the patients/public to stay safe?
We urge the people of Oman to strictly follow the recommendations given by the supreme committee. Social distancing is a key strategy to limit the spread of the virus. Frequently washing hands and adhering to the hygiene standards is strongly advisable. Wear a mask in crowded places but do not roam around unnecessarily. People who exhibit symptoms of COVID -19 should visit the nearest healthcare facility to get a medical consultation.