Qatar’s health system has been ranked 13th best in the world and first in the Middle East by the 2017 Legatum Prosperity Index. The annual index measures and ranks the health of people living in 149 countries.
A comprehensive review process assessed three key measures of the quality of each country’s healthcare system, including basic mental and physical health, health infrastructure, and the availability of preventive care. Qatar’s health ranking within the Legatum Prosperity Index has risen in the past ten years, advancing from 27th in the world in 2008 to 13th place at present.
“To be ranked 13th in the world is a wonderful endorsement of the quality of care we deliver every day to patients across our health system,” said Her Excellency Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, Minister of Public Health.
“The transformation of Qatar’s health system in recent decades has been remarkable. We have made enormous progress in terms of both increasing capacity and advancing the quality of care. The growth year on year has been rapid and rivals any country in the world in terms of the pace of change,” explained Her Excellency.
Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has opened seven new hospitals and numerous specialist facilities since 2011, significantly expanding its infrastructure and the range of services offered to patients. In the last two years alone, HMC has opened four new hospitals across its Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City Doha campus: the Communicable Disease Center, Qatar Rehabilitation Institute, the Ambulatory Care Center, and the Women’s Wellness and Research Center. These new hospitals provide world-class environments in which HMC’s skilled clinical teams can deliver care to patients.
“In HMC, we have invested in those things that matter most to patients. Our dedicated clinical teams at HMC provide rapid access to highly specialized services, delivering more than three million episodes of care to patients each year; so it is heartening to know that the quality of care we provide has been formally recognized as amongst the best in the world. Our ambition to provide the safest most effective care for Qatar’s residents lies at the heart of all we do,” explained Dr. Abdulla Al Ansari, Acting Chief Medical Officer at HMC.
HMC manages twelve hospitals – nine specialist hospitals and three community hospitals – as well as the National Ambulance Service and home and residential care services. The healthcare provider has sought and achieved accreditation from leading organizations across many areas, demonstrating HMC’s ability to deliver high-quality care to patients.
“More than a decade ago in 2006 we first secured accreditation by the Joint Commission International, and more recently in 2016, we became the first healthcare system across the globe to have all of its hospitals accredited by the JCI under its Academic Medical Center program. We also hold prestigious accreditations for nursing, education and training, and laboratory and pathology, amongst others,” said Dr. Al Ansari.
The largest conference dedicated to healthcare quality improvement and patient safety in the Arab world is about to open its doors to over 2,500 local and international healthcare professionals. The 6th Middle East Forum on Quality and Safety in Healthcare, being held from 23 to 25 March at the Qatar National Convention Centre (QNCC) in Doha, will feature a range of topics including patient-centered care, joy at work, improvement science, patient safety, and leadership and capability building. More details can be found online at http://ihimeforum.hamad.qa
