DOHA: Taking healthcare beyond diagnosis and treatment, the upcoming Hamad Medical City project is poised to become the finest center of medical excellence in the region.
Along with four hospitals and many ancillary facilities, the 44 hectare city will be a revolutionary change on the facilities, management, practices, affiliations and services of the hospital care, when it is completed by 2012, according to the project management consultants- Hill International.
One of the major facilities will be two Hydrotherapy Units at the Children's Hospital and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Hospital (PMRH). The unit at the Children's Hospital will have a pool room, tub treatment and locker rooms.
The adult Hydro-therapy Unit consists of a large resistance pool area, two pool rooms, tub treatment areas and massage room, three in-patient waiting bays. "The units will be the best in the region. We have consulted experts to have the facility which can help patients to be treated with controlled water movements," Dexter A Bart, Design Manager, Hill International told The Peninsula.
Apart from the Children's hospital and PMRH, the city will also have Women's Hospital and a Skilled Nursing Facility Hospital (SNFH). The hospitals have an in-patient capacity of over 200 each apart from the out-patient clinics in the ground floors.
Bringing in innovative healthcare system, the city will have a Wellness Garden aimed at the patients, where they will be able to enjoy green landscapes and fresh air. The Children's Hospital will be custom made with special lighting and colours.
These four hospitals will have a common basement area of 28,000sqm, spread over a distance of 320m. The basement will also have two tunnels connecting to the Central Energy Plant. One of the tunnels will be for the mechanical, electric and plumbing facilities and another for the hospital staff to the car park above the energy plant.
An enormous kitchen will cater to over 920 in-patients, staff members and cafeteria customers. Once this kitchen is opened, the facility at the present Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) will be shut for renovation works.
In addition to these, works on a Education Center, Nurses Club and a Friday Mosque has started. Three floored Education Center will have a total area of 4400sqm will have a two level auditorium with 400 seats.
The Nurses club will have a total area of 1,600sqm with gym, basket ball court, covered swimming pool, library and coffee, hair salon, convenience shop, landscaped gardens and shaded areas. The Friday Mosque will have a main hall of 400sqm and women's balcony of 120sqm. The minaret will be 30 meters tall.
The city also has a housing area of 13.3 hectares including Nurses Hostel for 2560, Married Housing of 216 apartments, landscaped courtyards and play parks for children
"We are now finishing up ancillary buildings. The later infrastructural developments include replacing the current roads with three lane carriageways of 1040 meter length with 175m of covered underpass, in each direction forming part of Ahmed bin Ali Street and the oval car park of 52,500sqm for over 1100 cars on two levels with direct access to the hospitals. The building interior works also need to be done; only exterior works have been completed yet," Bart said.
"The medical city showcases what Qatar is capable of. All the materials used for the buildings are highly defined and once opened; it will be a unique experience for patients and visitors. The interior will be done completely in Italian marbles of top quality. It will become a seven-star world class facility integrating the existing Hamad Hospital and Rumailah creating the finest centre of medical excellence in the region," said Tim Judge, Senior Vice President, Hill International.
By Huda N V
© The Peninsula 2010
