Paid parking at HMC hospitals, facilities from December 20

Hamad Medical Corporation has announced paid, smart and paperless parking for its hospitals and facilities from December 20 while the valet parking services on Doha, Al Khor and Al Wakra campuses also will become smart.
According to a press statement by HMC, the new system contributes to reducing waiting times at the parking gates.
“Patients and visitors to HMC’s hospitals have a free entry period of up to 30 minutes in parking areas. After that, the fee will be QR5 for a stay of up to two hours, with an additional charge of QR3 for each extra hour thereafter, with a maximum charge of QR70 per day. These new fees align with those set by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry,” HMC statement said.
The new system incorporates the latest electronic technologies that include scanning and reading vehicle license plates without the need for paper tickets. This update aligns with HMC's commitment to ensuring convenient access to parking areas for patients and visitors. The gradual activation of smart gates will commence from December 20.
When a vehicle approaches the gate, a camera will scan the licence plate, offering a seamless and simple process. Additionally, it offers multiple payment methods; upon leaving the hospital, visitors or patients can input their vehicle’s number for payment using a bank card. Electronic payment can also be made by scanning the clearly displayed barcode at various locations within the parking areas, eliminating the need to visit payment points in the hospital lobby as previously required. Exempted patients can scan the barcode associated with their health card at payment kiosks.
Hamad Nasser al-Khalifa, HMC’s chief of Health Facilities Development, said the implementation of the new regulations, including parking fees, will enable patients and visitors to access spaces when and where they need them.
Patients undergoing long-term treatments such as cancer and kidney dialysis are exempted from these charges. This also applies to vehicles driven by individuals admitted for overnight stays in the hospital for emergency cases.
“Qatar’s population has grown significantly in recent years and this is putting pressure on car parking spaces due to the increasing number of patients being treated at HMC. Additionally, we have opened many new facilities and services and this has led to an increase in demand on parking spaces,” al- Khalifa said. “The smart parking system in place at HMC ensures that patients and visitors have access to adequate and convenient parking when and where they need it.”
Naji al-Mannai, executive director of Real Estate Management at HMC, and the chair of Safe Access Transportation and Parking Committee at HMC, noted: “HMC has signed a contract with a leading company in this field, Mawaqif Qatar, to manage and operate our parking facilities. This company has conducted a complete upgrade of the technology, systems, and gates, allowing for the development of the parking facilities to keep pace with the latest developments.”
Additionally, valet parking services are now electronic and ticketless in Doha, Al Khor and Al Wakra campuses, which enhances the efficiency of the service and the effectiveness of performance monitoring.
As a value-added service, HMC has also introduced car wash services in Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City for patients and visitors.
It is expected that the new parking measures will also contribute to alleviating traffic congestion around the entrances and exits of hospitals.