MESAIEED Hospital has become the second dedicated COVID-19 treatment facility in Qatar to discharge its final batch of patients and return to normal healthcare operations, following the Ras Laffan Hospital which saw off the last coronavirus patient earlier this month. Both these hospitals were rapidly upgraded and opened in April as part of the country’s preparedness against the pandemic. They were part of the seven health facilities that exclusively dealt with coronavirus patients.
The Minister of Public Health, H E Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari, who met the last patients leaving the hospital on Wednesday, praised the remarkable success of the country’s healthcare system against the challenge of the COVID-19. 6,170 patients treated at Mesaieed Hospital are among the more than 100,000 people who have recovered from COVID-19 in Qatar with the support of the healthcare system. A crucial aspect of Qatar’s response to the pandemic has been the efficiency and increased capacity of its healthcare network which ensured that every patient was able to quickly access the medical care they needed.
Rass Laffan, Mesaieed, Lebseeyer Hospitals as well as the Doha Industrial Area filed hospital were converted into advanced treatment facilities for COVID-19 patients within just a few weeks, significantly boosting the healthcare sectors capacity. Mesaieed Hospital was originally built with an intended capacity of just 120 beds, but it provided 610 acute beds, 45 intensive care beds and 27 acute pediatric beds throughout its time as a COVID-19 facility. Overall, 3,500 new hospital beds and 700 intensive care beds were created for COVID-19 patients.
Over the past four and a half month Qatar has passed through a major coronavirus outbreak. However, effective containment measures and proactive testing coupled with years of investments in the healthcare have resulted in the country achieving the second lowest mortality rate from COVID-19 in the world. The wonderful results Qatar has achieved so far in fight against COVID-19 are also the result of country’s sustained investments in science, technology and innovation.
As an active partner at the international level, Qatar has also been at the forefront of global efforts to mitigate the effects of the pandemic, particularly for vulnerable communities. Qatar has provided $10m to the World Health Organization, in addition to contributing $20m in global efforts to find a vaccine against COVID-19. It has also provided financial aid and medical equipment to many affected countries to enhance the capacity of their healthcare systems and aid their efforts against COVID-19.
