How The Health Care System in Qatar Works

How The Health Care System in Qatar Works

The health care system in Qatar is considered by the international community to be on a par with those of developed nations insofar as its quality is concerned. A number of factors or reasons give credence to this recognition.

For one, hospitals and clinics in Qatar - numbering about twenty - are fully equipped with the latest in medical technology and are highly accessible, being situated in strategic locations. The 2009 census places the population of Qatar at around 1,241,000. This translates to 1:62,050 hospital/clinic-patient ratio.

The Department of Health and Medical Services (DOHMS) of Qatar runs the Emirate's public health care. Qatar residents, as well as those of the neighboring emirates, enjoy practically costless medical services. But it must be mentioned here that there is no mandatory employer or state contribution insurance schemes that are in place in Qatar.



That's right. All employers are not obligated to provide health care insurance to its workers. The DOHMS may issue a health card to a foreign worker who applies for one. The health card qualifies a foreign patient for acceptance by a public hospital, but only in an emergency case. Foreign workers may also obtain their own health insurance, and they will need to make their own arrangements for this.

Many private health care providers are also on hand to lend support to Qatar's health care programs. Most of the foreign health care professionals working in Qatar are from the USA, Europe, and India. Their credentials are carefully scrutinized by the government before they are allowed to practice their profession in Qatar.

Part of the responsibilities of a health care professional in Qatar is the rendering of after-clinic private medical calls. This is one of the good practices that make the health care system in Qatar truly effective. Every person in Qatar, regardless of nationality and residency, is given the full medical attention he or she needs. Of course, such after-clinic private medical services involve higher fees than those rendered during regular clinic hours.

The focus of the health care system of Qatar is on improving its people's overall well-being. Everyone is guaranteed with the appropriate care specific to his or her case. Qatar's health care system guarantees the provision of a wide range of medical services, including these four popular ones:

1. Educating its people on the importance of having good health and proper nutrition;

2. Ensuring medical fitness for everyone;

3. Providing family and marriage counseling and other similar community services;

4. Administering vaccinations and immunizations.

Health care professionals in Qatar also provide psychiatric treatments, rehabilitation, and yoga therapy.

Qatar has undertaken what is considered its most extensive medical project thus far, with the creation of the Qatar Healthcare City (DHCC). This project is the world's first health care free zone, and consists of virtually the big players in the medical community.

The DHCC houses the Qatar Harvard Foundation for Medical Research (DHFMR), the University of Teaching Hospital (UH), and the Boston University Institute for Dental Research and Education Qatar (BUIDRE), among others.