Despite the recent growth in numbers, private clinics/hospitals are suffering many problems.
Many facilities that have joined Seha are struggling to cope with a sudden increase in the number of patients due to their inadequate infrastructure facilities and shortage of skilled manpower.
For several years, private clinics have been facing criticisms from citizens and expatriates for their allegedly exorbitant fees and poor services, forcing the Supreme Council of Health ( SCH) to impose a price freeze until Seha is fully implemented.
The national insurance scheme is expected to unify and standardise fees of private healthcare facilities and raise their standards.
SCH has laid down rules and regulations for private facilities and practitioners and updated them from time to time.
A strict monitoring system is in place to ensure healthcare providers abide by rules and regulations.
However, many providers feel authorities need to do more to address their problems and concerns, apart from tightening the noose on their operations.
Their complaints range from procedural delays in issuing licences to newly- recruited healthcare professionals to authorities’ failure to ensure availability of several life-saving medicines in the local market.
They also feel they should be given more freedom and opportunities for medical practice to effectively compete in the market.
There is a need for more private clinics and hospitals to meet the requirements of the burgeoning population and address crowding at a few public hospitals.
In the years to come, Qatar is expected to see a positive competition between private healthcare providers who will also be allowed to compete with public hospitals and health centres currently dominating the sector.
