Qatar Healthcare for Expats www.expatriatehealthcare.com /qatar-healthcare-for-expats/

The Qatar healthcare system is reputedly one of the very best in the Middle East.

Expats and travellers alike can therefore look forwardto high standards of medical care.

That said, the costs of healthcare can varyconsiderably. Some expats will have access to thenational health insurance system which providessubsidized healthcare.

In cases where this subsidized healthcare is notavailable, however, healthcare can be very expensive.

Before visiting Qatar it is therefore critical tounderstand how the Qatar healthcare system works,and whether health insurance will be necessary foryou, in order to obtain the most effective care while inthe country.

Primary Health Care in Qatar

Healthcare in Qatar is primarily controlled by the Supreme Council of Health (SCH).

Front-line medical services such as hospitals and polyclinics are provided by the Hamad MedicalCorporation (HMC), a non-profit government-run organization.

HMC also administers the Health Card system, which facilitates access to subsidized care in itshospitals.

Possession of a health card will significantly reduce the costs of medical care in Qatar, though as in manyother countries additional co-payments will normally be required when receiving care.

Visitors to Qatar should therefore aim to register for a Health Card as soon as possible after arrival.

Qatar Health Cards

Applying for a health card is reasonably simple,though some expats have reported considerable redtape in accessing the healthcare system via theservice.

In principle there are two primary ways to obtain aHealth Card in Qatar:

At any HMS clinic

At the local Post Office

The application procedure is reasonably simple. Youwill need to complete a form and provide the followingsupplementary documents:

Passport

Residence visa

Passport-sized photos

In addition, if applying for a card on behalf of your children you will need to provide:

Birth certificate

Vaccination records

You will also be expected to pay a fee for the card itself. At present the fee is set at QR100, which amountsto around £20 depending on currency exchange rates.

Most visitors agree that this is a very small price to pay for the potential savings to be had.

Health Cards typically take between two and four weeks to arrive after application, so the sooner youapply on the entry the sooner you can begin benefiting.

The cards are designed to last the same period as your visa, though both can be renewed at expiry.

Public Hospitals in Qatar

There are a number of high quality public hospitals in and around Doha.

Visitors and expats can still receive medical care even without a Health Card, though you will of course notbenefit from the subsidized treatment.

The main public hospitals in Qatar are:

Hospital Name Address Tel No.

Women's Hospital Hamad Medical City, Doha, Qatar +974 439 6666

Rumailah Hospital Al Khaleej St., Al Khaleej St, Doha, Qatar +974 439 6666

Al Amal Oncology Hospital Doha, Qatar +974 474 5555

Children's Emergency Centre +974 439 2948

Hamad General Hospital Hamad Medical City, Doha, Qatar +974 4394444

Al Khor General Hospital +974 474 5555

Hospital Name Address Tel No.

Private Hospitals in Qatar

It has been estimated that roughly two thirds of the hospitals in Qatar are privately-run.

These hospitals are still expected to meet the same exacting standards applied to public hospitals but dueto the fees payable the waiting lists are usually shorter.

In addition there tends to be a far higher prevalence of English-speaking doctors working in suchhospitals, many of whom are expats themselves.

Note that a Qatari Health Card does not cover treatment in such hospitals so health insurance should beconsidered essential to cover treatment fees.

The main private hospitals in Qatar are:

Hospital Name Address Tel No.

Al Ahli Hospital P.O.Box 6401, Ahmed Bin Ali St, Doha, Qatar +974 4489 8888

Al Emadi Hospital Al Hilal West, P.O. 5804, Doha, Qatar., Qatar +974 4466 6009

American Hospital P.O.Box : 22314, Doha, Qatar +974 4442 1999

Doha Clinic Hospital Al Mirqab Al Jadeed, Doha, Qatar +974 4438 4333

Vaccinations for Qatar

The British National Health Service (NHS) recommends the following vaccinations for visits to Qatar:

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis B

Tetanus

Typhoid

Here at Expatriate Healthcare we would encourage you to seek professional medical advice before yourvisit to ensure the most timely vaccination advice.

Qatar Health Insurance

Healthcare in Qatar is changing rapidly.

As mentioned, while a Health Card offers subsidized care, patients will stillneed to make supplementary payments.

Furthermore, not all types of care and medication are covered by the system.

As a result, despite registering for a Health Card many Qataris still findthemselves paying for certain medical care.

In light of this Qatar has recently made health insurance compulsory fornative Qataris. This has helped to ease the financial burden on the Qataripopulation and so provides better care.

As yet, this health insurance is not compulsory for expats, though there arerumblings that this policy could be introduced very shortly.

At this point it is likely that many expats will source this insurance through theiremployer.

Right now it is strongly advised that travellers and expats invest in appropriate health insurance beforeentering the country to ensure appropriate levels of financial aid in times of need.

For a no-obligation health insurance quote from Expatriate Healthcare please click here.