Experts of Sidra Medicine’s Child Advocacy Program.
Doha: Sidra Medicine, a member of Qatar Foundation, has launched a series of free online seminars on how to report child abuse. Titled “Multidisciplinary Approaches to Child Abuse: Prevention, Intervention, and Support”, the seminars by the Sidra Medicine’s Child Advocacy Program (SCAP) are targeted at physicians, nurses and allied health professionals.
Chair of Emergency Medicine at Sidra Medicine Prof. Khalid Al Ansari said: “The aim of our seminars is to equip professionals from the healthcare sector including those in nurseries and schools, with the knowledge on how to look out for signs and to report any cases where they suspect a child is being abused or being treated harshly. We also want to address misconceptions as child abuse is not just physical or sexual violence. Child abuse can be anything that jeopardizes the well-being of a child including neglect, causing psychological harassment, emotional trauma or any act of commission or omission that puts a child’s life in danger.”
Led by experts from the SCAP team, topics include: The child protection referral system and pathways; What are the legal responsibilities in reporting child maltreatment; Early recognition and referral of child malnutrition and the Consequences of non-reporting and the impact of silence and inaction.
Medical Director of Sidra Medicine’s Child Advocacy Dr. Nadeem Jilani said: “Qatar’s law mandates professionals report suspected cases of child abuse to authorities. We currently have a nationally agreed-upon child abuse referral pathway in which suspected child abuse cases from other healthcare clinics or schools are referred to the central hub of the Sidra Medicine’s Child Advocacy Program (SCAP). We believe it our collective responsibility to put in place guidelines and processes that will address child abuse as well as provide resources and services to keep children safe.”
The current referral pathway for reporting child abuse consists of sending the referral to the SCAP team at Sidra Medicine. After receiving the referral, the SCAP team — which includes trained physicians, nurses, social workers and child psychologists — triage the cases before appropriate action is taken.
The triage processes include several protocols such as medical evaluations and psychological assessments; interviewing and counselling; confidential documentation and legal reporting. The team works closely with several government agencies including Qatar’s national social services; law enforcement and the legal sector as well as other healthcare institutions, schools, and non-governmental agencies.
