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Satyendra Pathak
Doha
In a bid to achieve higher hospital bed-density in the coming years, Qatar is expected to increase its number of hospital beds to 5,700 by 2033 from an estimated 3,800 in 2018, QNB Financial Services (QNBFS) has said in its latest report.
According to the report, hospital bed-density has room for expansion in Qatar as the country’s current average hospital beds per 10,000 population of 16.3 is much lower than Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries’ average of 47.9 beds.
To increase penetration of hospital and doctors in different parts of the country, the report said, the government is considering offering three large pieces of land for hospital investments.
Citing an announcement made by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), the report said the government invited bidders from the private sector to design, build and operate three hospitals on government-owned land.
While two of these hospitals will be located in Abu Hamour, one will be in Al Shamal. The hospitals in Abu Hamour are planned to be built on 42,900 sqm and 30,000 sqm pieces of land and will have 150 beds and 60 beds respectively. The hospital in Al Shamal will be based on 65,000 sqm land and will have 100 beds.
“The land for each project will be allocated for 25 years and the operating entity will pay QR1/sqm nominal rent to the government. After the first 25 years, the concession may be extended for another 25 years,” it said.
Opening of new facilities, along with the expansion of existing services is a part of the long-term plan set out in the National Health Strategy 2018-2022, the report said.
More governmental facilities are planned from 2018 and beyond with 13 new or expanded secondary care facilities and hospitals as well as 10 wellness centers.
“Strong population growth, life expectancy with a room for increase, coupled with its high GDP per capita creates a favourable backdrop for the Qatari healthcare sector,” it said.
The report also revealed that Qatar’s healthcare spending is among the highest in the Middle East, with QR22.7 billion invested in healthcare in 2018, a 4 percent increase from the previous year.
While five new hospitals opened in Qatar between 2011 and 2016, the report said, efforts have been intensified over the past two years, which resulted in the addition of six new public sector hospitals and more than 1,100 new hospital beds.
Since 2017, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has opened four new hospitals like Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital, Women’s Wellness and Research Center, the Qatar Rehabilitation Institute and the Ambulatory Care Center, significantly expanding its infrastructure and the range of services offered to patients.
“In the past 18 months, Sidra Medical and Research Centre, a 400-bed hospital established by Qatar Foundation, Naufar Hospital, four new Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) Health and Wellness Centers and one new Health Center have been opened,” it said.
Additionally, a number of new private sector hospitals and diagnostic and treatment centres have begun caring for patients and new healthcare facilities are set to open this year.
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28/08/2019
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