Executive Director of Strategy Planning and Health Intelligence at the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) Dr. Mohammed Ghaith Al Kuwari said that the Corporation is entering its third strategic cycle based on what was achieved during the first national strategy for primary health care 2013-2018 and the second strategic plan 2019-2023. He pointed out that the current strategic plan, which was developed collaboratively with the participation of PHCC staff, the health sector, and representatives of patients and the community, is based on key pillars such as Qatar National Vision 2030 and Qatar's Third National Health Strategy 2024-2030, all of which focus on several axes of the health sector such as population health, setting ambitious goals to improve health outcomes, improving the quality of services and facilitating access to them for clients, in addition to a renewed focus on sustainability in service delivery. He added that these axes have been integrated into PHCC's strategy as the core axes on which its strategic priorities are based. This came at a press conference Tuesday marking the launch of the PHCC's Corporate Strategic Plan 2024-2030, during which Dr. Al Kuwari reviewed the PHCC's vision through providing distinguished healthcare services, its mission, and values. In this context, he indicated that this vision was developed to be consistent with the PHCC's position as the first reliable choice for recipients of healthcare and wellness services in Qatar. He noted that the PHCC will achieve its vision by providing distinguished primary healthcare to the community in a coordinated manner, enhancing its integrated model of care, and working collaboratively with key partners across the health system to shift the balance of care from a hospital-based curative model to an improved model that focuses on preventive health services and health awareness in the community, in addition to enabling patients to have better access to the PHCC's services and improving their experience when receiving care at its h ealth centers. He said that the PHCC's mission has been updated to emphasize providing outstanding family medicine and preventive health services centered on community members. The PHCC will continue its focus on delivering healthcare services by enhancing its family medicine model, focusing on disease prevention, supporting healthy lifestyles and wellness services, and ensuring integration in its services to provide a seamless healthcare experience for its patients. He said that to achieve all of this, the PHCC will continue to develop its workforce and procedures and use modern technological solutions, which will enable it to improve the effectiveness of services provided to the community and achieve sustainability for the PHCC. In turn, Assistant Managing Director for Strategy at PHCC Steven Emery said that the PHCC's 3rd Corporate Strategic Plan has been formulated to guide the PHCC over the next seven years. He emphasized that this plan is not just a document, but a commitment to raise the level of he althcare services, enhance access to them, and raise the level of general well-being of communities. He noted that based on the achievements of the previous strategy 2019-2023, the PHCC is proud to announce that it has exceeded 90 percent of its set strategic goals. Emery indicated that the most notable achievements include the opening of six new health centers in strategic locations, the implementation of the integrated family medicine model in all the PHCC's health centers, with a significant increase in the use of specialized services, which rose from 53 percent in 2019 to 70 percent in 2023, in addition to the effective handling and management of 60 percent of mental health cases within primary care centers, which demonstrates the extent of dedication to providing comprehensive mental health services. He pointed out that the PHCC also launched and expanded early detection programs for breast cancer, colon cancer, and rectal cancer, to improve the likelihood of successful treatment, while the oral health initiative reached 75 percent of primary schools and 90 percent of kindergartens. He pointed out that in cooperation with the National Cancer Screening Program and Hamad Medical Corporation, the PHCC provided an improved hearing loss screening service for newborns in its health centers, in addition to developing the central health knowledge and information management portal, while maintaining the highest standards of data security, whereas its focus with the launch of its new strategy is on transforming the way primary health care is provided. He said that the national priorities will focus on three main areas, including improving the health and well-being of the population, excellence in service delivery and patient experience, and the efficiency and resilience of the health system. In line with this, the PHCC has identified three main strategic themes that collectively emphasize enhancing population health outcomes through a renewed focus on preventive health, integrated services, achieving greater accessi bility and ensuring that every member of society receives high-quality care, and committing to sustainability and resilience in its health services and preparing to face future health challenges. Source: Qatar News Agency