Qatar has established a world-class healthcare network to provide top-notch services to its population. Qatar’s healthcare system has over the years made strides in technological advancement and employed cutting-edge technology to improve outcomes for patients.
In a latest such initiative, Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Qatar’s leading provider of secondary and tertiary healthcare, has unveiled a revolutionary advancement in precision medicine through the clinical implementation of pharmacogenomics. This approach studies how genes affect an individual’s response to medications. It combines pharmacology and genomics to develop personalised drug therapies and considers each patient’s unique genetic profile to enhance drug efficacy.
HMC is the first institution in Qatar and one of a few in the Middle East to integrate pharmacogenomics into routine clinical practice. The initiative aligns seamlessly with Qatar National Vision 2030, by enhancing patient outcomes and contributing to Qatar’s goal of becoming a regional leader in healthcare innovation.
HMC has also ensured a high patient satisfaction rate through its Nesma’ak Customer Service, which receives an average of 5,600 calls a day. HMC offers a 24/7 call centre dedicated to answer patients’ queries, assist in managing patients’ appointments and receive feedback. It received over 785,000 calls during the first half of 2024. The customer assistance is available in multiple languages including Arabic, English, Urdu, and Malayalam. The healthcare provider is also integrating clinical information system of its various hospitals with the call centre.
Qatar has advanced personalised medicine with the establishment of the Center for Clinical Precision Medicine and Genomics at HMC. This center is set to become a cornerstone in Qatar’s healthcare infrastructure, driving forward the nation’s goals in personalised medicine.
Building a healthy society is also the cornerstone of Qatar’s societal infrastructural development. The government’s efforts to promote community health has been recognised by the World Health Organization. Qatar is the first country where all municipalities have received the title of Healthy City from the WHO, in addition to Qatar Foundation’s Education City being recognised as a Healthy Education City and Qatar University as a Healthy University.
Qatar has adopted Healthy Cities approach and translated it into strategic initiatives, policies, and best practices by following the ‘Health in All Policies’ strategic priority. The Primary Health Care Corporation provides primary healthcare to Qatar’s population through its 31 health caters across the country. It offers more than 104 services to over 1.7 million active registered patients.
