Plans to increase hospital beds in Qatar by 60%: Report

Monday, 03 December 2012

DOHA: The number of hospital beds in the country will increase by about 60 percent over the next two years, according to a report released by the State Cabinet.

Currently, there are 1,575 hospital beds which will be increased to 2,300 in two years, Al Sharq said quoting a report released by the Cabinet's general secretariat.

This will be in addition to the 110-bed hospital for specialised care which is on the pipeline.

Three hospitals at the Hamad bin Khalifa Medical City will be ready next year, said the report.

The number of child births in the country from April 2011 to March 2012 rose to 7,350 (Qataris) and 13,428 non-Qataris, according to the report. Of the Qataris born during the period, 3,724 were males, while females accounted for 6,601 of the births among non-Qataris.

Health authorities conducted laboratory tests on 507 samples of medicines while 11 pharmaceutical companies and 139 medicines were registered in the country during the period and six new importing companies were licensed.

The authorities intervened to fix the prices of 6,540 medicines and 292 cosmetics products. The Pharmacy and Drug Control Department at the Supreme Council of Health (SCH) conducted 820 inspections at private pharmacies, 13 raids at government pharmacies and 15 raids at medicine stores.

Citing a HMC survey that covered six clinics, the report said that average waiting time for appointments reduced from 29 days to seven days.

The survey also found that 90 per cent of expatriates were satisfied with the HMC services.