Students reach out to children in Qatar

AA young child receives the oral vaccine from WCMC-Q
student Mahfam Shafaee as his friend looks over.

WCMC-Q students continued to help the National Health Authority during their immunization campaign by administering the oral polio vaccine (OPV) to young children in the second round (December 18-22).

Twenty medical and pre-medical students volunteered for Qatar's National Immunization Days (NIDs) during the first round (November 20-24), with another 24 volunteering in the second round (December 18-22).

The NIDs aim to prevent any importation of polio virus into Qatar. Children aged between two months and five years receive the OPV to assure their immunity.

WCMC-Q students joined mobile teams of doctors and nurses from the National Health Authority's Communicable Disease Control & Prevention section, alongside other student volunteers from College of the North Atlantic in Qatar and the University of Qatar.

A team of doctors, nurses and student volunteers,
including WCMC-Q student Mahfam Shafaee (front),
collect the oral polio vaccine from a cooler where it is
kept at the correct temperature.

During the first round, teams visited 81 kindergartens and administered OPV (with parental consent) to around 11,000 children. All primary health centers and clinics under Qatar Petroleum, the Ministry of Interior and Qatar Armed Forces were also open to administer OPV during the NIDs.

The campaign also included some record keeping and statistics gathering to ensure its effectiveness in reaching the maximum number of children.

WCMC-Q first-year pre-medical student Nadia Merchant said in preparation for the NIDs, student volunteers attended a National Health Authority workshop at Hamad Medical Corporation to learn about polio, vaccine storage procedures, how to administer the vaccine, and to ask questions.

"I think it was helpful because when we got to the schools on immunization day we knew what to do," she said. "We had gotten to know the doctors and the nurses we were working with. “I became involved in the program because it seemed like a good opportunity. They’re making sure that everybody gets the vaccination… we need these types of programs in Qatar,”.

WCMC-Q pre-medical students Sumeja Zahirovic
(second from left), Mahfam Shafaee (second from
right) and HMC nurses prepare to administer the
oral polio vaccine to a baby at Farik Abdul Aziz
Vaccination Clinic.

Ms Merchant said the experience of interacting with children, doctors, nurses and the program organizers had been valuable.

“I learned first hand how to approach children in a kind, friendly way so I could give them the vaccination without frightening them,”.

National Health Authority Communicable Disease Control & Prevention section head Dr. Syed F. Shah said: “By participating in the National Immunization Days, WCMC-Q students have an opportunity for capacity-building and contributing to the community.”

“Going into schools and seeing the efforts of primary health workers among the multi-national communities of children will help the students to form an even stronger feeling for work in the medical field."

Dr. Shah said student volunteers would receive certificates from the National Health Authority for participating in the workshop and NIDs.

Krista Dobinson, Assistant Editor/Writer