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DOHA
Hundreds of Qatar Airways (QA) employees completed a walk of 4.8 km down Hamad International Airport’s (HIA) east runway on Sunday, at an event organised by the airline to promote good mental health among its staff and their families.
QA Group Chief Executive Akbar al Baker attended the walk alongside HIA Chief Operating Officer Eng Badr Mohammed al Meer and QA Group Medical Director Dr John Roberts. They were joined by Susan Clelland, acting executive director, National Mental Health Program at the Ministry of Public Health; Iain Tully, chief executive officer for Mental Health at Hamad Medical Corporation; and Dr Samya Ahmad al Abdulla, executive director of operations at Primary Health Care Corporation.
The walk was designed by QA to highlight the habits that support good mental health, such as regular exercise and participation in social and community-based activities. It was the first event of its kind hosted by the airline and represented a unique opportunity for employees to explore HIA’s runway at first hand.
Baker said, “Walking down HIA’s runway alongside hundreds of colleagues to promote this worthy cause was a wonderful experience for our staff. At Qatar Airways, we understand that mental health is as important as physical health to overall wellbeing. I hope that this walk has contributed to raising awareness of mental health among our employees and encouraged meaningful conversations between colleagues. I would like to thank everyone who attended today – it is only through our individual actions that we can create change.”
The walk started at 10am and concluded at 11am. Before the walk began, employees and their families enjoyed a range of activities at HIA’s boarding gates, including children’s games, food and beverage stalls, and a visit from atar Airways mascots Orry and Orah. After the walk, employees received a medal for their participation.
The event at HIA is just one of the many ways that QA works to promote positive mental health and wellbeing. It is one of the few airlines in the world to provide in-house mental health support to employees through a dedicated team of psychologists led by Dr Roberts. It is also the only organisation outside the health sector in Qatar that has an in-house team of mental health professionals.
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18/11/2019
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