A Newcomers Guide to Healthcare in Qatar: What You Need to Know
- charlottebooth06
- Jan 8
- 5 min read
Healthcare is a key concern for anyone relocating to a new country. This is especially the case for those with young families and/or individuals with a pre-existing condition which needs to be managed. Trust me, as the wife of a Type 1 Diabetic- I know this stress!
In the simplest of definitions, Qatar has a mixed healthcare approach, whereby there are both public, government funded hospitals as well as many private healthcare options.
The public hospital (Hamad Medical Cooperation) is a world class healthcare system with some of the best health care professionals in the world. However, the reality is that it can be quite a time consuming process to be treated there due to the high demand. Most organisations will provide employees with private medical insurance as part of their package, therefore, most expatriates tend to use the private facilities for ease. The turn around time for getting an appointment, having tests and getting results back is so so fast- its incredible.
This post aims to simplify this for you and comes with recommendations based on my personal experience to ease any anxieties you have about accessing care in Qatar.
Why would I use private options if there is such a great public healthcare system?
Putting it simply, you will likely need and use both. The Public options are great but the reality is that it is time consuming due to the high demand they face. Therefore, most expatriates with private medical insurance are likely to use the private healthcare options for ease and efficiency. Let’s breakdown each option:
1) Hamad Medical Cooperation (HMC): Government Public Hospital
Hamad Hospital is the main public hospital with multiple Public Clinics around Qatar (known as PHCC Medical Clinics).
There are many doctors who have come out from the UK to work there (I’ve even seen a doctor in NHS uniform who was completing a secondment at Hamad Hospital, I had to do a double take!).
I’d advise all residents to apply for a Hamad Medical Card to ensure that you are registered within the system (click button below for more information on this).
Why Use HMC:
Subsidized rates for those with Hamad Medical Cards
Once you are in the system with a specific concern, the care and follow-ups are very thorough and automatically scheduled for you
For any major issues or operations, most clinics would refer you to HMC as the standard of the doctors is very high
Qatar required vaccinations are covered free of charge
Why it may not be the best option for you:
Getting an appointment is near-on impossible as it mainly works through a referral system. Even then the wait can be very long. They are however, good at prioritizing serious cases.
For immediate issues, there is a walk in option though A&E, where you will be seen and treated, however, you would need to be prepared to wait most of the day as it can get very busy.
Most of the blue-collar workers don’t have private medical insurance, therefore, A&E can become busy with people needing to be treated for minor issues.
2) Private Hospital Options
While public healthcare is affordable and of excellent quality, private clinics tend to offer shorter wait times and a more personalised experience.
From our experience, the most popular private hospitals with expats are:
The View Hospital  | Westbay Medicare  | ||
Sidra Medicine  | Turkish Hospital  | ||
Al Ahli Hospital  | International Medical Centre  |
But there are many, many more…
Most employers will give their sponsored staff private medical insurance. The details of what is included in the coverage is dependent on the provider and the level of the plan (download our checklist below with some of the key questions you should be asking your potential employer).
Another important point to be aware of is direct vs indirect reimbursement:
-Direct reimbursement is where the hospital/clinic will directly charge your insurance provider for the service (you may have a co-pay amount to pay depending on your policy).
-Indirect reimbursement is where you will have to use a claim form provided by the hospital/clinic and submit this to your insurance provider yourself. I find this annoying and long-winded so tend to opt for facilities that use direct reimbursement for my insurance.
3) Where do I find my local GP?
The Qatar system is different from the UK in that most private clinics and hospitals have specialty departments, therefore you would book an appointment with directly with that specialist based on your concern. For example, rather than seeing my GP about getting my moles checked, I would book in with a Dermatologist directly. However, there are “Family Doctors” which are the closest to a GP that you would have back home. A lot of people prefer to go through their family doctor first who then may refer you to a specialist if need be.
Ultimately, its preference and if you form a good relationship with a specific doctor then you may wish to always go through them so they have access to your history. There isn’t a shared information system between private clinics so always starting off with the same doctor or clinic is a good way of making sure everything is documented and in a centralised place.
Personally, for my children I always go to the same Pediatrician as she has treated them since they were babies, therefore, has their medical records/vaccination history etc. In my opinion, The International Medical Centre is the closest to a GP clinic that you would get back in the UK (however it is indirect reimbursement which is a nuisance!)
4) Emergency Medical Services and Ambulance Access
The emergency service number in Qatar is 999.
The ambulance service is the fastest I’ve ever experienced. They will always take you to HMC or Sidra and you would be fast tracked through A&E for serious issues.
It is essential that you have the blue plaque details for your location as this is what they use to locate you. I advise having a photo of this on your phone (Ask your landlord or compound management for the details if you don’t know this).
Having lived in Qatar for over 20 years, I have seen first-hand how the public and private healthcare options have grown. Overall, I feel we are very lucky to have such a modern and high-quality healthcare system available to us as expats. Whilst it might take some time to fully understand the different options, I hope that you found this post helpful to put forward some tried and tested recommendations by other expatriates to put any worries you had at ease.
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