Al Wakra Hospital-based Women’s Wellbeing Clinic reopens

Doha: Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Women’s Wellbeing Clinic is fully open for regular consultation sessions following the recommencement of services at Al Wakra Hospital after its designation a COVID-19 facility. The service focuses on promoting wellbeing in women throughout their pregnancy, birth and the 12 months after birth. More than 2000 women have been screened for their wellbeing needs since the clinic was established in July 2020. 

Located in Al Wakra Hospital, the service is designed to provide a holistic approach to the physical and emotional health of women through their pregnancy journey. Recognizing that life changes around pregnancy can make women more vulnerable to mental health problems. one of the target audiences for the service is women that experience maternal mental challenges. The service also provides bereavement support, such as in the case of still births or infant death, where counselling is provided to both husband and wife. To access the service, women can either request a referral from their doctor or contact the Women’s Mental Health and Wellbeing service by calling the tollfree number 16000 and selecting the confidential Mental Health Helpline option. Dr Sazgar Abdullah Hamad, clinical lead for the Virtual Women’s and Perinatal Service at HMC said the team have been observing incidence rates of anxiety and depression among women that is comparable to international data. “With the ongoing COVID-19 situation, we are seeing more cases of medium to high anxiety among pregnant women and young mothers. The mother’s concerns are mainly due to feelings of uncertainty related to the place of delivery and changes in the healthcare teams, such as doctors, nurses and midwives, due to COVID-19 requirements. For expatriate women the additional worry includes a fear of being alone during and after delivery, without the help of family at this vulnerable time for them.”