Qatar to invest QR4bn in new healthcare facilities

By Joseph Varghese

Staff Reporter

Qatar will be investing more than QR4bn over the next five years to build and equip hospitals and medical cities,  Ibteihaj al-Ahmadani, head of the Health Committee at  Qatar Chamber, said yesterday.

She also said that the country had spent QR 51.3bn on the health sector over the last decade.

Al-Ahmadani was speaking at a press conference to announce the first-ever Qatar International Exhibition of Medical Devices and Healthcare (Qmed) which will take place from  March 9-11, 2015 at the Qatar National Convention Centre. Khalifa al-Mohannadi, general manager, Sogha Exhibitions and Conferences, the organisers of Qmed, was present .

Al-Ahmadani said: “The health sector in the country witnessed the largest increase in provisions during the current year  compared to the previous one as it  registered a 63% increase.”

She added that the huge investment made by Qatar on the expansion of hospitals and medical centres would be accompanied by great development and growth in the medical services of both public and private sectors.

“Qatar spends about $1,900 per captita on healthcare,  one of the largest in the world, while the per capita allocation in the neighbouring countries does not exceed $900 and in the developing countries it  is just $150.”

The official said Qatar had become an attractive point for global medical companies because of  the increasing awareness of patients in the country and their eagerness to get medical services from the best hospitals in the world. She added that the importance of the health sector in Qatar was not only dependent on government support as the private sector investment was also significant.

Al-Mohannadi said that more than 150 companies from the Middle East and Africa, Europe, North and South America, Asia and the Pacific would participate in the exhibition. He added that the exhibition was organised in partnership with London-based ExCo Media.

“The Qmed is a great platform for local and international companies which aim at providing innovative, eco-friendly and internationally recognised solutions for the medical devices. The exhibition will attract manufacturers, distributors and suppliers as well as professionals in the health sector from more than 30 countries.”

Qmed will  present a  “Blue Zone” which is dedicated to diabetes. “This is because Qatar is one of the countries with high diabetes prevalence in the world,” he added.