Doha, 21 May 2012: As part of the educational activities organized by Hamad Medical Corporation's (HMC) Psychiatry Department, a public lecture on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is being held on Wednesday, 23 May, 2012 (from 06:00 pm to 07:00 pm). The lecture will be delivered by Dr. Hazem Hashem, senior consultant psychiatrist at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), in the Psychiatry Department (located opposite The Center and Mega Mart and next to the Kahramaa office).
OCD is an anxiety disorder in which people have unwanted and repeated thoughts, feelings, ideas, sensations (obsessions), or behaviors that make them feel driven to do something (compulsions). The lecture explains the symptoms of OCD, their effect on patients, their families and friends, as well as various treatment practices and latest updates in the field.
"About 2% of world population suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). This rate may increase in Arab communities due to social and religious restrictions. Symptoms and signs of this disease normally appear at the end of the adolescence stage and can progress with age. OCD patients comprise about 10% of the total visitors of psychiatry clinics" said Dr. Hazem Hashem.
"OCD is often a very debilitating disease as individuals who experience uncontrollable obsessions can spend a lot of their time trying to rectify their compulsions which causes more anxiety" explained Dr. Hazem, adding: "Most OCD patients feel that they are alone in dealing with their problem and do not consider seeking treatment; they continue to suffer from the disease for five years or even more before consulting a psychiatrist. However, statistics show that 70% of patients who seek treatment can expect to make a complete recovery".
Dr. Hazem will respond to questions from attendees and members of staff will be able to provide information to the visiting public in different languages.
HMC's Psychiatry Department offers these lectures as part of its mandate to offer public education on different mental health illnesses and treatment options.
About HMC:
Hamad Medical Corporation is the premier non-profit healthcare provider in Qatar. It was established by Emiri decree in 1979 and manages eight highly specialized hospitals, namely, Hamad General Hospital, Rumailah Hospital, Women's Hospital, Al Amal Hospital, Heart Hospital, Al Wakra Hospital, The Cuban Hospital and Al Khor Hospital. Since its establishment, HMC has rapidly developed medical facilities capable of providing state-of-the-art diagnosis and treatment of diseases that previously could only be managed in overseas medical centers.
HMC prides itself in providing quality and cost-efficient healthcare for all patients regardless of nationality, in line with the State of Qatar's pledge of "Health for All". For this purpose, the Corporation implements a policy of continuous improvement of all management systems and patient care protocols. HMC's ethos is based on three key pillars which are Health, Education and Research.
For more information about HMC please visit www.hmc.org.qa.
For more information about this article, please contact:
Corporate Communication Department
Hamad Medical Corporation
Tel. No.: +974 4439 5272
Fax No.: +974 4439 5002
© Press Release 2012
