Special cards for patients dependent on ‘steroid’

KUWAIT CITY, Dec 27: The Health Insurance Hospitals Company (Daman) has opened a new primary healthcare center in Dajeej - the third to be opened within a network of centers covering all the governorates of Kuwait. Daman Board Chairman Mutlaq Al-Sanea said this center represents an important step towards achieving the company’s strategy aimed at serving high-density population areas and contribute to facilitating expatriates to easy access to healthcare services.

In a press statement on the sidelines of opening the center, Al-Sanea said Daman is currently operating two primary health care centers in the Hawalli and Farwaniya regions, and is also planning to open two more primary health care centers in the Ahmadi and Jahra governorates, thus covering all Kuwait governorates for the first phase with five major health centers. He went on to say that the new health center in the Dajeej area is scheduled to start receiving visitors -- citizens and residents -- at the beginning of next January.

It is built on an area of 2,770 square meters and includes 16 family medicine clinics and six dental clinics, in addition to a panoramic dental x-ray room and five pediatric clinics, the same as treatment rooms as well as three observation rooms, a laboratory and a pharmacy. He said, Daman is the first healthcare company to be established according to the public-private partnership (PPP) system in the Middle East, and it is a major part of Kuwait’s national development plan (New Kuwait 2035). He called these centers an essential component of the company’s plan to establish an integrated health system, which will include three hospitals and 15 primary health care centers, to provide health services to residents in all Kuwaiti governorates to achieve the State of Kuwait’s National Health Care Strategy.

Acting CEO of Daman, Dr. Muhammad Faisal Al-Qanaei said the opening of the Dajeej Center is a qualitative addition to the primary health services in Kuwait, as the strategy of “Daman” is to focus and invest in primary healthcare because of its importance in improving the quality of health services and controlling the health system in general.

Daman was keen to hire highly experienced and efficient technical, administrative and medical personnel to ensure services of a high level. In other news, the head of the Endocrinology Unit at the Al-Sabah Hospital, Dr. Adel Reda, announced the issuance of special cards soon for patients so the treatment is done in an organized manner.

In a press statement, Reda said these cards contain special medical instructions and contains n electronic “barcode” with the approved international protocols. He added, this card will be available to those visiting the Al-Sabah Health District. He stressed these cards help alert patients who are dependent on steroid due to adrenal insufficiency and to ensure that their medical condition is known to paramedics and other medical professionals, allowing them to quickly assess and diagnose the condition, and provide them with the best accurate treatment, quickly and appropriately.

Reda stressed on the importance of these cards in alerting and educating caregivers, teachers, friends and parents about the patient’s condition and what to do in emergency situations where immediate action is required.