The Supreme Council of Health (SCH) is planning to set up mobile units for the mandatory premarital screening, a senior SCH official has said.
The premarital check-up, which is currently conducted in five health centres, will soon be made available in more health centres across the country, according to Dr Mariam Abdul Malik, director of Primary Health Care at the SCH.
She said over 3.2 million people had visited the health centres in the country last year. The Abu Bakr Siddiq Health Centre had the highest number of visitors (391,807), followed by the Al Rayyan Health Centre (389,809) and the Khalifa Health Centre (292,068).
“We are studying a proposal to set up well-equipped mobile units for premarital screening for nationals and expatriates in Doha and its outskirts. Premarital screening will soon be offered in more health centres and the scheduled days in the centres that currently offer this programme will be increased,” said Abdul Malik in an interview with a local Arabic daily.
A total of 7, 236 people underwent the screening in 2009. About 80 percent of the couples who were screened had tied the knot between January and September this year, she said, citing data provided by the Supreme Judicial Council.
The official categorically denied that the premarital screening procedures had delayed marriages. She said that the SCH should impose a fee for the screening on non-Qataris to deter those who undergo the tests without getting married
in Qatar.
She said a specialised consulting panel had been formed to address all issues related with the screening with the participation of the Primary Health Care Department of the SCH, HMC clinics and labs, courts and the Medical Commission.
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