DOHA: All children under 18 seeking treatment at Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Paediatric Emergency Centres (PECs) must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian to receive non-urgent medical care, HMC said yesterday.
HMC has urged all parents to strictly follow this rule, which came in force on April 1.
In cases where parents are not able to attend, a blood relative (such as a grandparent, uncle or aunt) must accompany the child to provide necessary emotional and psychological support the latter requires during assessment.
According to Dr Khalid Al Ansari, Medical Director, Paediatric Emergency Services, HMC, the new rule is applicable to HMC’s network of hospitals and facilities and is a precautionary effort to prevent children from being brought by the family’s housekeeper, helper or driver instead of a parent or guardian.
“As with adults, we have a duty of care to ensure that any child requiring medical assistance is given the safest and most effective treatment.
“It is desirable that before a doctor can treat a patient, they need a family member to give their consent for medical procedures to be undertaken, or for medication or therapies to be administered,” said Dr Al Ansari.
“According to Article 49 of Qatar Civil Law No. 22 of 2004, adulthood starts from 18 years of age in Qatar.
“Anyone under 18 is considered a minor, thus we need to have an adult parent or guardian to give consent on a child’s behalf to carry out any medical procedures,” he added.
There are important and practical reasons why this ruling requires that a sick child must be accompanied by his or her parent. It is only a parent who can provide details of a child’s medical history, including medication allergies and immunisation records.
“If a parent is present during their child’s assessment, they will be able to receive first-hand necessary advice about medication and any follow-up care pertaining to their child’s health,” stressed Dr Al Ansari.
There are often language barriers between healthcare workers and helpers or drivers. Having a parent or guardian present ensures they get vital information about their child’s condition directly and are able to make informed decisions about next steps, he said.
However, Dr Al Ansari emphasised that when implementing the new measures, no child brought into PEC without a parent will be turned away.
“Any child requiring urgent and critical care is attended to and put in a stable condition until a parent arrives and other necessary procedures can be done.
“PEC staff will make all efforts to contact the child’s parents and keep them informed until they arrive,” he said.
“Non-urgent cases are assessed, made comfortable and kept in the PEC waiting area with their helper or driver until a parent arrives and a full assessment of the child can be undertaken.
“In this case, the child may have to wait longer than usual,” added Dr Al Ansari.
The Peninsula
