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CATHERINE W GICHUKI
DOHA
THE Cuban Hospital of the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) registered 74,331 visits in its Outpatient Department (OPD) in 2017, officials have said.
The total number of inpatients was 4, 576 in 2017 compared to 259 in 2012.
The hospital caters mostly for the people living in Dukhan, Zekreet, Shahaniya and Um Baab areas.
Speaking to media persons, Cuban Hospital Assistant Executive Director (Business and Staff Services), Top Administration Department, Mohamed Amer al Marri, said,"Thirty five percent of the hospital patients come from Doha and are referred by HMC hospitals."
He said the hospital has 75 beds and seven operating theatres for all specialties while around four surgeries are conducted per day at each theatre."The Cuban Hospital offers patients a wide range of services, including comprehensive dentistry, dermatology, diabetes, gynaecology, ENT and audiology, emergency services for children and adults and general medicine," he added.
Talking about bariatric surgery, Marri said that in total 3,100 surgeries were conducted and 677 deliveries took place at the hospital in 2017.
"The purpose of having the hospital in the western part of the country is to provide medical service to people in Dukhan, which houses about 5,000 Qatar Petroleum staff, Zekreet that has about 7,000 labour camps and Shehaniya among other areas," he said.
On his part Dental Consultant Dr Angel Mario Felipe Garmendia said the hospital has 465 staff from Cuba. He added that the hospital provides services in more than 25 specialties including medical and surgical services.
He further said that the demand for bariatric surgeries was high in Qatar as most of the patients were Qataris.
"The hospital started with basic services in 2011 and has expanded and continues to expand its services," he said, adding that this year, they were planning to start laser surgery and dental implant.
