Some of the health care professionals attending the programme.
DOHA: A new group of nurses have begun an intensive Diabetes Educator Programme in Doha to learn about the latest developments in diabetes care and ultimately improve the quality of life for those with the condition.
Twenty-six public and private sector health care professionals from Qatar Diabetes Association (QDA) and Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) join the course, which runs from now until September.
The Diabetes Educator Programme, now in its second year, is delivered by the Canadian Michener Institute for Applied Health Science, in conjunction with Calgary University- Qatar, and supported by Action on Diabetes and the Qatar Diabetes Association (QDA)-Qatar Foundation.
Speaking at the launch event, Dr Abdulla Al Hamaq, Executive Director of Qatar Diabetes Association — member of Qatar Foundation, said: “The Diabetes Educator Certification course will offer a world class programme to diabetes educators in Qatar. It is the first accredited programme of its kind to be run in Qatar.
Dr Al Hamaq continued, “At QDA we strive to deliver programmes and services to people affected by diabetes, and share the latest diabetes information with care providers to help improve the overall quality of life for people with diabetes. We are very pleased to work with our ‘Action on Diabetes’ partners — Hamad Medical Corporation, The Supreme Council of Health, The Primary Health Care Cooperation, Novo Nordisk, and Maersk Oil Qatar — to deliver another valuable project as part of the ‘Action on Diabetes’ initiative.
Sheikh Faisal Al Thani, Deputy Managing Director at Maersk Oil Qatar, commented: “This is the second year of the Michener Institute course in Qatar and it is pleasing to see that 26 nurses, compared to 22 last year, are taking part. Diabetes research and approaches to treatment are evolving constantly so these courses help to maintain high standards of care in Qatar.
In addition to a two day workshops which build on a student’s personal knowledge and experience, the Michener’s Diabetes Educator Programme includes six online modules and evaluation through written assignments, presentations and web-based examinations.