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With the launch of the second stage of the National Health Insurance Scheme (Seha), officials of private hospitals have stressed that they are ready to cope with the flow of patients and taken a number of steps for this purpose, local Arabic daily Arrayah has reported. |
However, a recent poll conducted by the daily through its website revealed that most respondents were not confident if the private hospitals would be able to provide the required health services at the beginning of the second stage.
The second stage of the insurance scheme, which was launched yesterday, aims to cover all Qatari nationals.
According to the hospital officials, the measures taken by them include carrying out expansion work in terms of rooms and utilities and increasing the number of medical staff and employees.
The daily met the officials in the run-up to the launch of the second stage of Seha to ascertain the extent of the preparedness of hospitals to deal with the expected rush of patients.
Dr Abdulazim Hussain of Al Ahli Hospital said the hospital currently gets 1,000 patients daily and expects to receive more due to the implementation of the second stage of Seha.
He said the number of patients is expected to rise by 30-40% and to cope with this, Al Ahli Hospital has set up 50 new medication rooms and employed 30 new doctors and 150 new nurses, according to the report.
Managers of other hospitals said similar arrangements have been made in their facilities, the report adds.
However, the Arrayah poll revealed that 82.3% of the participants felt that the private hospitals might not be able to provide the required services in the early stages of the second phase of Seha.
While 67.2% of the respondents expect an increase in the waiting period as many citizens prefer medication in private hospitals, 95.2% have highlighted the importance of the participation of a large number of private health centres in the insurance scheme. Meanwhile, 75% have demanded the establishment of government medical centres to compete with the private ones, according to the daily.
A large number of citizens have stressed that the health insurance system will ease crowds at the hospitals of Hamad Medical Corporation and health centres. They have also pointed out that the system will help contribute to the reduction of waiting periods for conducting surgeries and getting appointments at outpatient clinics, the report adds.
