Rheumatism Association Wins 2020 International Medical Excellence Award for Social Responsibility

The Charitable Association for Rheumatism Patients received the 2020 International Medical Excellence Award for Social Responsibility in recognition of its distinguished efforts to combat COVID-19. The award was announced during the Association's participation in the Medical Sector and Social Responsibility Conference, held under the theme “The Medical System Confronting the COVID-19 Pandemic,” in a session honoring social-responsibility physician Dr. Mohammed Al-Mashali. Association Board Chairman Dr. Mohammed bin Ahmed Hamza Omair presented a conference paper entitled “The Charitable Association for Rheumatism Patients' Efforts to Combat the COVID-19 Pandemic.” Dr. Mohammed Omair said the Association made every possible effort during the pandemic, launching initiatives and programs to improve rheumatism patients' quality of life and protect them from COVID-19, Among the most prominent is the Mutual Aid Treatment Program, which works with pharmaceutical companies to provide biological medicines to rheumatism patients in need who have no health insurance or cannot afford their medication. The “Your Medicine Delivered” initiative delivers medicines free of charge to beneficiaries' homes, while the Children with Rheumatic Diseases Program provides biological medicines to pediatric rheumatology patients. Several other programs and initiatives have also made a noticeable difference in patients' lives. He affirmed that the Association has received numerous social responsibility awards and continues to take confident steps toward excellence, quality, and credibility in the services it provides to beneficiaries. It focuses on quality of life, not volume, and on enabling rheumatism patients to live better lives. In a related context, the Association's Executive Director General, Mohammed Al-Tufaili Al-Zahrani, affirmed that the Board and staff had made commendable efforts to achieve the objective of confronting and combating the COVID-19 pandemic, He added that the succession of international and regional awards, along with the substantial and continued support the Association receives from the State—may God support it—is the result of diligent work and dedication to serving patients. He said the award builds on the honors the Association has already received and represents a valued achievement in which everyone can take pride: the Association, its partners in success, and the colleagues working in social responsibility locally, regionally, and internationally who helped make the conference a success. The conference addressed several issues and topics of shared interest to all parties involved in social responsibility. Key themes included “A Public Health Emergency of International Concern: Reviewing International Coordination Strategies”; the World Health Organization's effectiveness in fulfilling its leadership and coordination roles during the COVID-19 pandemic; medical personnel as heroes on the front line against the pandemic, from sacrifice and success to official and public recognition; and Arab states' efforts to achieve health equity while balancing national obligations and international responsibilities,ways to use the attention generated by the COVID-19 pandemic to review and improve countries' preventive-health policies; and transparency and the balance between making information accessible to the public and enabling experts to use it in responding to the pandemic. The conference also examined responsible media, including the professional standards and duties required for public awareness during the COVID-19 pandemic. http://alriyadh.com/1839532