Go to any Primary Health Care Centre (PHCC) in Qatar and one of their most common features is the exceptionally long waiting times.

Being acutely aware of the inconvenience caused to users, the PHCC is mulling implementation of a series of measures to cut waiting times, reported Qatar Tribune.

The move will be based on a study that was recently undertaken by the PHCC to cut waiting times, said Dr Mona Al Hail, director of Omar Bin Al Khattab Health Center.

The Omar Bin Al Khattab Health Center observed as many as 104,110 patients — including 25,163 citizens and 42,227 residents — for the study.

The centre receives 9,000 to 10,000 patients at general clinics on a monthly basis while specialised clinics see around 7,000 patients, she added.

She said that between 20 and 25% patients fail to keep their appointments, some of them coming in late and others not at all. In the future, the pharmacy will be expanded and that will help speedy distribution of prescribed medicines.