The question uppermost in everyone’s mind now is whether this will resolve the problem of long waiting periods for appointments and surgeries, in particular, at the state-run Hamad Medical Corporation, as the beneficiaries of the scheme can now avail of private healthcare services free of cost.
Not many in the community, though, feel confident about private healthcare services as they feel they don’t have the capacity to cater to a large population.
A local Arabic daily conducted an online survey late last week and a massive 82.3 percent of the respondents said they didn’t feel private healthcare providers had the capacity to meet the requirements of the second phase of the National Health Insurance Scheme, since it covers the entire Qatari population and all types of diseases.
An even larger percentage of respondents (95.2 percent) called for more private healthcare facilities so that they can together cater to the country’s growing population, which now stands at 2.15 million.
Mohamed Al Muslemani, a member of the Central Municipal Council, the public representative body, says that the country needs more private hospitals and health centres for the insurance scheme to be fully implemented. The scheme is to cover expatriates and visitors by late next year.
A citizen, in remarks to this newspaper, said on grounds of anonymity that most private healthcare services were confined to Doha, and as with all other services, this meant that people living in areas outside the capital city must travel here to meet their medical needs.
“I think what we require is decentralisation of medical services as well, otherwise the pressure on government healthcare services at the various hospitals and primary health centres won’t ease,” said the national.
However, despite people’s reservations, many private healthcare facilities reported a large turnout of nationals on the first two days after the launch of the second phase of the National Health Insurance Scheme.
Al Emadi Hospital had a turnout of about 120 nationals on the first day, while at Al Haya Healthcare Center the turnout was larger at 200.
The hospitals say they have learnt enough from the first phase of the insurance scheme, which was launched last year, to make the second phase successful. Only time will tell if that is true.
