Al Khor Hospital Visit

At the initiative of the Secondary School members of the Student Council, some students visited Hamad Medical Corporation hospital in Al Khor this past week to get to know the medical field a little better. They interacted with the professionals, but also with the patients. Such visit is the first of many others to come and hopefully opened the path to closer collaboration and future professional experience opportunities for our students. Mr McArtney and some students who took part in the visit are sharing with us their reflections:

This year’s Student Council has done something it never has before by reaching out and supporting our Al Khor community. Last week’s project had been looked forward to for a long time, since members voiced their interest in supporting the local hospital at the end of Term 1. A special thanks goes to our President, Caroline Rapaka 10N, for beginning the initial dialogue with the hospital and showing leadership during the trip. Five of our Student Council members embarked on a nearby trip to Al Khor Hospital as part of their target to embrace and support their local community. The whole Student Council, as well as other helpful students around the school, prepared incredibly thoughtful cards and gifts to pass on to some of the patients in pediatric and orthopedic care. For the students who went, it was a valuable and insightful experience. NAISAK would like to thank the amazing staff for their warm welcome, as well as the doctors and nurses who provided an excellent insight into their profession. This experience was great for the children and an eye-opener for myself too, and we look forward to working closely with the hospital in the future.

Mr McArtney

On Wednesday 8 March, some members of the Student Council and I went to the HMC hospital in Al Khor. It was a great experience to see and talk to some of the patients, nurses and doctors. We distributed ‘Get Well Soon’ cards that students had made, as well as some beautiful roses. In addition, we handed out big posters that had been made and designed by the Student Council for the patients at the hospital.

We had the opportunity to speak to staff and one of the doctors that we spoke to explained why he became a doctor and how hard he had to study to get to where he is today. We also had the opportunity to speak to the head nurse and she shared her story and how she became interested in medicine and caring for others. After meeting with staff, we were introduced to some patients and visited the children’s ward, and even saw some newborn babies. Most of the patients we visited had broken limbs or were awaiting surgery.

Overall it was a fantastic experience. Visiting the hospital made me appreciate that I am a healthy person and how important it is to take care of ourselves. It also made me realise how hard those in the medical profession have to work. I think working in medicine requires dedication, excellent communication skills and a caring nature. I am impressed by their commitment; all the staff at HMC Al Khor do an excellent job!

Chané Bothma 10N

On Wednesday, four other students and I, along with Mr McArtney and Ms Lucy, went for a visit to Al Khor hospital. In the lead-up to our visit, we prepared many different cards to be given to patients there, with the help from other Primary and Secondary students. It was an interesting experience, also considering that it was my first time doing something of this kind. Though I do not want to pursue a career in medicine, I now understand better what they are doing and appreciate them much more than I did before.