Use of child passenger seats emphasized under new national initiative
Qatar has reaffirmed its commitment to ensure children’s safety on the country’s roads with yet another move urging parents to use passenger seats for their children.
The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) yesterday announced a new initiative aimed at encouraging the use of child passenger seats among parents in Qatar by raising awareness on the subject.
The initiative, Qatar National Child Passenger Safety Programme, officially titled Ghalai, was inaugurated by Her Excellency the Minister of Public Health, Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari at the Women’s Wellness and Research Center (WWRC), reported Gulf Times.
Ghalai, which is created under a long-standing and unique collaboration between public and private sectors, serves as an impetus for a prospective law that will make it binding to use child passenger seats.
Additionally, Qatar may make it compulsory for back seat passengers to wear seat belts, according to The Peninsula.
Minister of Public Health launched the Qatar National Child Passenger Safety Program "Ghalai" at the Women's Wellness and Research Center, where child passenger safety technicians will help parents install seats for children in their cars.#QNA pic.twitter.com/oGiRagKuoK
— Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) March 18, 2019
“Qatar is committed to work towards ensuring members of the community and especially young children are as safe as possible on Qatar’s roads,” Dr Al Kuwari underlined at launch ceremony of Ghalai.
“Child passenger safety is an essential element of Decade of Action (2011-2020) global plan for road safety and we are proud that Qatar is leading the way with this unique and lifesaving service,” she added.
Dr Al Kuwari shined a spotlight on Qatar’s first Ghalai Drive Through Test Station at WWRC, the central part of this national initiative.
The station will see a number of trained child passenger safety technicians help out parents fit child safety seats in their cars and learn everything they need to know about the proper use of the safety seats.
A number of other stations are in the plans for 2019 and will be overseen by the Hamad International Training Center [HITC).
The first purpose-built facility at WWRC is located in the basement parking of the hospital and parents will be able to book appointments to have their car seats fitted, reported Qatar Tribune.
Among the most common mistakes in the use of car seats for children are: ignoring the manufacturer's instructions for installation, not following the correct directions for the child’s age, weight, mental, and physical development, installing the seat too loosely, not tightening the harness straps properly, and failing to use all of the harnesses available to properly secure a child into the correct position.
Dr. Khalid Abdulnoor Saifeldeen, Director of HITC mentioned that the Ghalai initiative comes under collaboration between the government and private sector in support of the National Strategy for Traffic Safety.
“We are planning to add more stations in the coming months. We will open a new station at Sidra Medicine within a few months. We will also have a station at the Ministry of Interior office premises as well as another one in a leading shopping mall,” he highlighted.
He further commended the initiative, saying it will play a significant role in raising the level of safety for newborns and young children in Qatar.
“The programme has a number of components that includes, child passenger technician training and certification programme, purpose built car seat check/testing stations, school visit programme, direct engagement with member of the community and research and evaluation,” he described.
The programme came into effect with collaboration between: The Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Education and Higher Education, Hamad Medical Corporation, (HMC), Primary Healthcare Corporation, Sidra Medicine, Qatar University, Conoco Philips, and Saleh Al Hamad Al Mana Co.
General Directorate of Traffic Director General Brig Mohamed Saad Al Kharji, National Traffic Safety Committee Secretary-General Brig Mohamed Abdullah Al Malki, MoPH's Public Health Director Sheikh Dr Mohamed bin Hamad Al Thani, Dr Saifeldeen and other dignitaries were present at the launch event.
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Omer, Are you a COPY of Accha. You write almost similar wordings ??
Just asking, please answer like a gentleman ......
Wed, 20.03.2019, 10.07 hrs.
Omar , Is there any pressure on you by Accha to post lies like that ? He alone was sufficient here .......
Wed, 20.03.2019, 10.05 hrs.
The worst scene '' ones gets to ''
What is it ? What is that Accha ??? !!!
First you cool down then only rush to post a lie ....
It is okay in a parked car. Never mind.
No jokes please in these safety matters, yea, really ......
Wed, 20.03.2019, 10.03 hrs.
Omar, That is PLANE LIE ??? !!!
Please be reasonable even if you tell a lie.
Put some limits to the '' falsehood '' ...
Wed, 20.03.2019, 09.59 hrs.
"safety first" - educate thyself no excuses.
The worst scene ones gets to see is when a person usually a dad driving with his 2-year old son on his lap.
Brilliant news. I've seen some crazy stuff. Like someone driving with a baby on his hands.
It is already enforced in many many places. We welcome it ...
Tue, 19.03.2019, 08.57 hrs