QNA
DOHA
Qatar has managed to build a world-class public healthcare system in recent years thanks to a multi-sectoral approach to health and well-being in the country.
The state has invested significantly in enhancing the health and well-being of its population and achieving sustainability, guided by the wise vision of the Amir His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani and in pursuit of Qatar National Vision 2030.
As a result, Qatar became the first country where all its municipalities earned the title of “Healthy City” from the World Health Organization (WHO). Additionally, Qatar Foundation’s Education City was awarded the title of “Healthy Educational City”, and Qatar University was recognised as a “Healthy University.”
Achieving this milestone required placing health as a priority for cities by promoting health, equity, and sustainable development. This pioneering approach was translated into initiatives, strategic policies, and best practices by prioritizing “Health in All Policies” in close collaboration across various sectors of the state.
The healthcare system in Qatar has become distinguished and unique, earning global trust and reaching international standards. Qatar’s healthcare system revolves around the importance of comprehensive healthcare coverage for all members of society, improving the health of the Qatari community, meeting the needs of citizens, residents and visitors alike, and elevating its services to the highest global standards to achieve Qatar National Vision 2030.
Regarding public healthcare facilities in the country, recent years have witnessed a qualitative leap with an increase in public healthcare facilities and a significant rise in competent healthcare and paramedical staff.
By the end of 2023, the public sector had 19 hospitals and long-term care facilities, with the number of public health centres, including those under the Primary Health Care Corporation and those managed by the Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) under an agreement with the Ministry of Public Health, reaching 35 centres distributed across the state, including six health and wellness centres.
The total workforce in the public healthcare sector amounted to 29,960 healthcare workers.
Qatar also focused on encouraging investments in the private healthcare sector, which witnessed a qualitative leap. By the end of 2023, the private sector had 10 hospitals, 21 day-surgery centres, 417 general and specialised health centres, including dental centres, 319 diagnostic centres encompassing medical laboratories and diagnostic radiology centres, dental laboratories, and vision testing, along with 140 individual clinics and corporate clinics, 135 health and nursing agencies, and 1,251 primary healthcare units.
The total workforce in the private healthcare sector amounted to 21,417 healthcare workers. As a result of massive investments in the healthcare sector, Qatar’s average life expectancy has increased significantly, reaching 80.3 years in 2021, reflecting major improvements in the population’s health indicators.
Qatar also achieved several national, regional and international accomplishments in public health, including global accreditations in public health, performance, operations, patient safety, patient engagement programmes, strategic guidance for future years, healthcare development and public-private partnership programmes.
Minister of Public Health HE Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari emphasised earlier this year that Qatar is proud to be the first country in the world where all its municipalities earned the title of “Healthy City” from the World Health Organization.
Additionally, Qatar University was awarded the title of “Healthy University”, and the Education City by Qatar Foundation received the title of “Healthy Educational City”. These projects align with the priority of “Health in All Policies” in Qatar’s National Health Strategy (2018-2022), supporting the Healthy City program.
Five hospitals in Qatar were ranked among the top 250 academic medical centres globally. The Primary Health Care Corporation received Canadian accreditation according to Diamond Level Accreditation Standards. Moreover, the Qatar Red Crescent Society achieved platinum accreditation for all four healthcare centres it operates and manages under a cooperation agreement with the Ministry of Public Health.
The Ministry of Public Health has received an award from the World Health Organization for World No Tobacco Day. Additionally, Qatar is proud to have recently launched the first phase of its health insurance system targeting visitors to the country, in accordance with Law No 22 of 2021 regulating healthcare services within Qatar.
Among the significant achievements in Qatar’s healthcare sector is in the field of emergency medical services, where Hamad Medical Corporation’s ambulance service has consistently achieved response rates exceeding set targets for emergency response times for the eleventh consecutive year. The target set in the first National Health Strategy is to reach the emergency scene within 10 minutes in urban areas and 15 minutes in rural areas for up to 75 percent of emergency calls.
The Ministry of Public Health has also launched the new edition of Qatar National Formulary (QNF) via the ministry’s website, serving as a national database providing comprehensive and updated information on pharmaceuticals, registration status, regulations and guidelines, listing over 4,000 officially registered medicines updated monthly.
