The healthcare sector in Qatar has witnessed significant expansion and growth in the recent years in urgent and emergency care facilities, Hamad Medical Corporation's (HMC) chief communications officer Ali Abdullah al-Khater, told local Arabic daily Arrayah.
There are currently over 20 urgent care centres and emergency departments across the country to meet the needs of the population of all ages and backgrounds. These specialised facilities provide rapid and immediate care services to deal with life-threatening emergencies without the need for prior appointments.
Due to the variety and wide-range of services, patients should opt for the appropriate service that meets their needs for urgent and emergency healthcare services to ensure the best experience for them.
The Ministry of Public Health has recently announced the launch of a national campaign to increase awareness of the urgent and emergency healthcare services, in which public healthcare providers in Qatar collaborate. The campaign aims to highlight the wide range of the available emergency and urgent care services, helping patients in making the best choices for their medical care needs.
The ambulance services and various accident and emergency departments provide excellent care for patients with the most serious and life-threatening conditions, while many urgent care services give patients with non-life-threatening urgent conditions, access to the care they need quickly without adding unnecessary pressure to emergency services.
These services are provided through the public healthcare system such as HMC which provides national ambulance service, six emergency departments, five paediatric emergency centres, a helpline for urgent consultations, and 10 primary health care centres.
Al-Khater pointed out that a life-threatening emergency is defined as a medical condition or injury that poses a direct threat to a person's life or poses a risk to bodily organs and requires immediate medical intervention to save the person's life or treat the affected organ. This includes, but is not limited to, injuries, stroke, heart attack, severe allergic reactions, seizures, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, choking, or other emergencies that fall under this classification. He stressed that in case of suspicion of any of such conditions or any similar injuries or symptoms, patients can contact the ambulance service number 999, after which the patient will be transported to the relevant emergency department.
The second type of emergency services includes non-life-threatening cases, defined as medical conditions or injuries that worsen significantly, and their symptoms worsen greatly, turning into life-threatening emergencies if left untreated for a short period. Examples include deep cuts, non-respiratory allergic reactions, abdominal pain and severe burns.
Regarding places designated for non-life-threatening emergency cases, HMC operates seven emergency departments across its affiliated hospitals, providing necessary care for patients with urgent or critical medical conditions. Upon arrival at the emergency department, patients are triaged to determine the severity of their condition, allowing emergency teams to prioritise critical cases for urgent treatment.
He explained that places designated for such cases include the Trauma and Emergency Center at Hamad General Hospital, the emergency department at the Cuban Hospital, the emergency department at Al Khor Hospital, the emergency department at the Women's Wellness and Research Center, the emergency department at Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital, the emergency department at Aisha bint Hamad Al Attiyah Hospital, and the emergency department at Al Wakra Hospital.
Further, HMC manages five paediatric emergency departments catering to children up to 14 years old, he added.
Ali Abdullah al-Khater
