The Ras Laffan hospital and health centre project was formally handed over to the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) yesterday.

The Private Engineering Office, who was in charge of constructing the mega project, has been closely coordinating with the Ministry of Public Health.

It is understood that the HMC will soon take charge of equipping the two health facilities. The hospital project was one of three executed by the Private Engineering Office to boost the health sector in the country, reported Gulf Times.

The other two are the Industrial Area Hospital (Abu Nakhla Hospital), handed over to HMC a year ago, and Mesaieed Hospital, which will be completed by the end of this year.

The Ras Laffan Hospital, constructed over a 200,000sqm area, comprises four levels. The 118-bed hospital can be further expanded by another 100 beds if the need arises in the future, reported The Peninsula.

The health centre will also provide medical commission services and expected to ease the pressure on health centers in the neighbouring areas.

Built to reflect Qatari heritage and architecture, the hospital building features green areas and parking facility which can accommodate 704 vehicles, including 200 covered parking spaces and 21 designated for people with disabilities as well as corridors and streets linking the different buildings of the hospital.

The heath centre, situated on the ground floor of the hospital, also has a day care unit, emergency department, central lab, central pharmacy, intensive care unit, outpatient clinics, dental clinic, rehabilitation and physiotherapy clinic, burns unit, in addition to laparoscopic and medical commission services, and computed tomography, radiology and magnetic resonance imaging.

The second floor of the hospital has six operating rooms, a 16-bed intensive care unit, administrative and educational services, human resources department. The inpatient department has 102 beds and four quarantine rooms.

The hospital has three main entrances, an ambulance entrance, a central kitchen, a central laundry and a morgue as well as a helipad on the rooftop to facilitate lading of Life Flights and transport critical and urgent cases.

The hospital is set to serve people from Ras Laffan and neighbouring areas and is expected to receive 1,000 to 1,200 visitors each day.