Doha: Qatar National Child Passenger Safety Program, Ghalai launched Doha’s second checking station for the safe restraint of children in road vehicles, yesterday.
The new station, located near the main hospital of Sidra Medicine, was opened by Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Hamad Al Thani, Director of the Public Health Department at the Ministry of Public Health, in the presence of senior representatives from key program stakeholders.
The Ghalai program presents a proven system of safety measures, that can be easily learnt by parents and caregivers, designed to reduce serious injury and death among children involved in car crashes.
“Ghalai, which means ‘my precious’ in the Qatari dialect, is an appropriate name for the Qatar National Child Passenger Safety Program; it highlights the commitment of our government towards promoting the safety of those who are among the most precious to us, our children,” said Sheikh Dr. Al Thani.
“The growing success of this program is due to the strong collaboration between government and private organizations. By working hand-in-hand to develop a strong foundation for educating new parents, together we can help change mindsets about road safety that enable us to better protect our precious children.”
The Ghalai national program is a joint venture between the private and public sector, including Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Interior, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Primary Health Care Corporation, Sidra Medicine, Qatar University, Ministry of Education and Higher Education, and ConocoPhillips.
The program supports the goals of the National Strategy for Traffic Safety, which is led by the Ministry of Interior’s (MOI) National Committee for Traffic Safety. The Ministry of Public Health assigned HMC’s Hamad International Training Center (HITC) to oversee the development of an education and awareness program on child passenger safety, which led to the launch of Ghalai in March 2019.
Dr. Khalid Abdulnoor Saifeldeen, Director of Hamad International Training Centre, and Chairman of the Ghalai Program explained the significance of opening a second checking station in the country. “The Ghalai stations are designed to offer practical advice to parents and carers to know how to install a car seat correctly so it can provide the intended protection. Just like learning how to drive a car properly, people need to be trained in how to install a child car seat properly and this is what our highly trained Ghalai technicians can provide.”
Officials at the launch of a second car seat checking station for child passengers.
Located in the spacious car parking area of Sidra Medicine, the purpose built air-conditioned station is designed to accommodate two families with their cars at a time to learn from Ghalai’s certified technicians about the proper way of installing their child’s car seat to ensure that all children are restrained in their car seats properly.
Prof. Ziyad M. Hijazi, Chief Medical Officer at Sidra Medicine said, “We are proud of our strong partnership with Hamad Medical Corporation and appreciate their support in establishing a Ghalai testing station at Sidra Medicine. Having this life-saving service as part of a nation-wide Qatar Child Passenger Safety Program in our hospital, is a step in the right direction in our own patient and family-centered approach to providing care. We strongly encourage all parents, particularly those who have just had a baby or with young children, to visit the Ghalai station and to actively work with us so that they have access to the right tools and resources to keep their precious children safe.”