Launch of the National Health Strategy

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am extremely thrilled as we embark today on this journey of executing one of the main pillars of our national developmental strategy, sponsored by His Highness the Emir and launched by the Heir Apparent.

The importance of launching the National Health Strategy lies in the fact that this will be the first time that we can evaluate and check the efficacy of the medical plans and programs through scientific indicators which can be monitored and analyzed against the objectives specified in the National Health Strategy.

The medical planning which we aspire to is not confined to disease prevention, providing what is needed and developing the human and financial infrastructure, rather it is the type of planning as a tool to gather all the efforts in order to make of our medical institutions, modern educational and research institutions not only dealing with medicines but also looking into the means of developing and manufacturing them.

Institutions playing a vital role as a participant in the regional and international research map and relying to that end on 3 main pillars which I believe it is necessary and mandatory to take them into account.

The first of these pillars is the particularity of our unique demographic composition which constitutes a suitable basis for biomedical research linked to genetics considered as the basis for medical sciences’ achievements in the future.

The second pillar consists of providing the main foundations for funding and executing scientific research projects through the specialized medical centers, depending on the endowment methodology which we have been relying on for a while in order to guarantee the sustainability of the projects’ execution.

And last but not least,

My firm belief that any change in this vital field cannot be achieved without the existence of a genuine national will.

This will has 2 elements:

A political will which is clear from any doubt as the health sector is one of the components of Qatar Vision 2030. However this political will requires something as important which is the engagement of all the national parties in achieving its objectives administratively and procedurally.

This is the second part of this difficult equation. That is why His Highness the Emir established the Supreme Health Council which was assigned with the mission of institutionalizing the medical field through planning for public health and healthcare projects in the present and the future.

As a result, all of us here are not only announcing the launch of the National Health Strategy, but we are affirming our commitment to adopting a road map in order to achieve the 7 objectives set by the Supreme Health Council as a path to answer all the medical priorities and needs of our society.

We have adopted a methodology based on the merger and complementation among the 7 objectives of the health system and the scientific and practical investment in it will help achieve the set objectives.

Our health system should be open to the global health infrastructure in terms of continued development, however this system should as well enhance sectoral specialized scientific research.

Take cancer for instance, what do we notice if our starting point is our National Health Strategy?

We notice that dealing with this important issue depends on adopting a integrated, comprehensive, and consistent system, which goes far beyond the coordination level needed to offer the best healthcare required for the patient and early diagnosis, to contribute to clinical and medical research which would offer solutions permitting the containment of the disease and the control of the pace of its spread and then its eradication.

As a result, from now until 2016, we are presented with a series of essential steps which we should respect and adhere to. We must, first and foremost make sure that the strategic planning is not only a slogan, rather we should transform it into concrete practical and scientific plans and programs.

On the other hand, strategic planning requires good governance, an experienced and innovative leadership, incentives and the adoption of international standards convincing the citizen in the quality of the medical services offered to him.

The quality of such services is no less than that of the services offered outside of Qatar. This is the healthy citizenship we seek and we must work on achieving it. This demand needs good planning and investing in the human and financial infrastructure.

This is the real bet which should be included in our National Health Strategy. We must succeed here as we have succeeded in previous tests.

Wishing our mission all the success.

Thank you.