By Fazeena Saleem
DOHA: Cuba is keen to expand its healthcare services in Qatar, especially by opening some speciality clinics and provide more doctors for the country’s medical sector, says Cuban Ambassador Ernesto D Plesencia.
Discussions are being held between Cuban officials and Qatari health authorities on the opening of physiotherapy clinics and providing doctors to the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), he told The Peninsula.
A very small Cuban community lives in Qatar and 450 members are employed at Cuban Hospital, a member of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), as doctors, nurses, technicians and other specialists.
“At the moment we are focused on Qatar’s medical and pharmaceutical sector. Our desire and interest is to expand healthcare services, basically because of the wellbeing of the hospital in Dukhan, one of the best with a very high rate of acceptance,” he said.
“We are working to address the need of doctors in Qatar, not only of HMC but also in the future to provide doctors to PHCC. We have been also talking on independent physiotherapy centres.”
Cuba, known the world over for its healthcare system and medical professionals, signed an agreement with Qatar in 2008 to provide health services.
Plesencia said the scope of the agreement is very wide. It is still in place and maybe it’s time to improve it.
To a question whether Cuba is interested in working with private hospitals and clinics, he said his country’s prime focus is addressing the needs of state- owned facilities.
“We have been talking with private entities, but again these are at basic discussion level. First we have to fill the needs of the Supreme Council of Health —basically the needs of Qatar.”
Officially opened in 2012, the hospital is staffed with healthcare professionals from Cuba and serves the growing population of Dukhan and surrounding communities.
It provides services in 42 specialities, including specialist clinics for paediatrics, endocrinology, internal medicine, urology, cardiology, general surgery, ENT, ophthalmology, gynaecology and rehabilitation medicine.
The 75-bed hospital also include dental, physiotherapy, CT and MRI facilities, inpatients wards, operation theatre and emergency department.
It also offers obstetrical and gynaecological services — from outpatient to emergency, surgical and neonatology care — providing an integrated system of care based on international best practices. Its services are supported by HMC’s Women’s Hospital, in partnership with Women and Newborn Health Network initiative.
The Peninsula
