By Joseph Varghese/Staff Reporter
Gardens, covered and air-conditioned walkways, open spaces and a bridge over C-Ring road to connect hospitals of the central Doha sites are some of the features of the master plan of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). It aims to develop HMC’s current hospitals at the central Doha sites into one, integrated complex.
According to officials of the HMC, the latest and most advanced healthcare facilities and services will be made available to the people of Qatar when the new healthcare projects under HMC are completed, turning Qatar into a hub of medical services.
At least 12 new projects are under construction while several others are in the planning stage as part of efforts to boost the healthcare facilities and services by HMC.
The new facilities under construction includes the Communicable Diseases Hospital, Ambulatory Care Centre, Bone & Joint Centre Outpatients Department, extension of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Operating Theatre Facility, extension of Paediatric Emergency Centre, Qatar Rehabilitation Institute, Simulation Centre, Specialist Clinical Centre, the Hamad Bin Khalifa Translational Research Institute, the new Trauma and Emergency Department and Women’s Wellness and Research Centre. Many of the new facilities will be in the Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City.
There are a number of projects in the planning stage which will soon get into the implementation stage. They are Al Shamal Hospital, New School of Clinical Sciences, New Tertiary Hospital, New Cancer Hospital, Ambulatory Speciality Centre, Al Wakra Master Plan, New Al Wakra Psychiatric Unit, Al Maha Children’s Development Centre, Al Wakra, New Ambulance Service Headquarters and expanded Ambulance Services, New Blood Donor Unit and expansion of Blood Bank services, increased car parking facilities, Breast Triple Assessment Clinic at the National Centre for Cancer Care and Research and new Diagnostic and Treatment Centres.
In addition, there will be expanded and renovated facilities within Hamad General Hospital, Women’s Hospital, Heart Hospital and Al Khor Hospital. There are also plans to expand its medical staff, clinics and hospital beds outside Doha by increasing the capacity of Al Khor and Al Wakrah hospitals.
HMC is also building five new diagnostic and treatments centres that will run clinics for a range of issues including diabetes, internal medicine, orthopaedics, rehabilitation and imaging outside Doha.
HMC officials said the current central Doha site of HMC will also have a metro railway station which will add to the convenience of the people. They added that the covered air-conditioned walkways and the landscaped areas of the site will encourage patients, staff and the visitors to walk through the complex.
