DOHA: A health expert has said that there is a shortage of Qatari doctors here because few young citizens are interested in studying medicine.
The Director of the Emergency Section at the Heart Hospital, Dr Omar Al Tamimi said that the hospital has “a shortage of Qatari doctors”. Currently there are 100 physicians and consultants, but only 10 percent are Qatari. “Many Qataris don’t want to study medicine, so we are doing our best to increase the number by training them and giving them opportunities for further studies,” local Arabic daily Al Raya quoting Al Tamimi as saying.
Al Tamimi added that over 120 patients visit the hospital daily and there is a waiting list of appointments for over three weeks. “The hospital is doing its best to implement the latest quality and the best type of medicines,” he said.
He added that the hospital conducts about 20 surgical operations of different types related to the heart every month.
The Director of Emergency also commented that there is a plan to expand the hospital with another building to increase capacity. At the moment, there are 120 beds, which include intensive care, surgery and heart divisions.
The hospital only receives patients transferred from Hamad Hospital or those who seek emergency care (20 percent of the patients), and the staff has been trained to give First Aid and deal with heart cases. Surgeries using robots are also performed which has proven to be 100 percent successful.
Al Tamimi, said: “The emergency section has 22 beds and the hospital is well equipped but we need more professionals to improve our capacity. Many of the cases that come to the hospital are related to strokes, chest pain or vein and artery problems.” The Heart Hospital coordinates all these cases with Hamad Hospital to transfer patients who are suffering from heart problems. “Some nationals have complained of the overcrowding. This is due to the growing population; this is why we are expanding the hospital,” he concluded.
The Peninsula
