Doha: More than 60 Qatari women turned up at the four designated healthcare facilities to take advantage of the free yet compulsory health insurance scheme on the first day of its launch on Wednesday.
The first phase of the scheme covering Qatari women aged 12 and above is applicable to the Women’s Hospital of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Al Emadi Hospital, Al Ahli Hospital and Doha Clinic. Although there have been no complaints so far, many in the Qatari community are still not aware about the scheme.
Many eligible Qatari women are still going to private hospitals that are not included in the network of the scheme. Some say they want their files to be transferred from the Women’s Hospital to private clinics of their choice.
Al Emadi Hospital received more than 20 patients on the first day of the implementation of the scheme, Dr Mohammad Al Emadi, medical director of the hospital, said, local Arabic dailies reported yesterday.
Doha Clinic, on the other hand, received five patients in the morning shift. A doctor from Doha Clinic said that they recently spent QR40m on new health equipment in preparation for the launch of the scheme.
“It is too early to access the program in the first two days but there have been no complaints so far,” he said.
Dr Abdul Azeem Hussain, Medical Director of Al Ahli hospital, said that the hospital received one case of delivery by a Qatari national on the first day, with all expenses covered by the insurance.
“The implementation of the scheme is going smoothly because of cooperation among all bodies and positive feedback from the nationals,” Dr Hussain said.
Women’s Hospital of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) conducting training courses for the staff the hospital before the launch of the scheme.
The Supreme Council of Health (SCH) has also opened an office at the hospital to provide necessary information about the scheme.
Qatari women only need to produce their identity (ID) card for identification and verification to benefit from the scheme, which covers maternity, obstetrics, gynaecology and related healthcare services in the first phase.
More health care facilities will be included in the network over the coming weeks and months.
“The first phase has been limited to Qatari women and specific diseases are covered because we want to assess the medical services in the initial stages,” said Dr Faleh Mohammed Hussain Ali, acting CEO of the National Health Insurance Company (NHIC) and Assistant Secretary General for Policy Affairs at the SCH.
“We want to learn from each phase as we move on so that medical services can be effective,” he said.
The Peninsula
