Qatar’s health system ranked as the best in the Middle East, 13th best in the world

Qatar has always given high importance to its healthcare field. Over the years, they have worked hard to make it foolproof.

All that hard work now seems to be paying off as Qatar’s health system has been ranked as the 13th best in the entire world. It has also achieved first position in the Middle East region, according to the 2017 Legatum Prosperity Index, reported Gulf Times.

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, according to The Peninsula.

“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 Minister of Public Health HE Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari.

“The transformation of Qatar’s health system in recent decades has been remarkable. We’ve made enormous progress in terms of both increasing capacity and advancing the quality of care. The growth has been rapid and rivals any country in the world in terms of the pace of change,” she explained.

The 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.

HMC manages twelve hospitals, nine specialist hospitals and three community hospitals as well as the National Ambulance Service and home and residential care services.