The government has announced to make health insurance mandatory for all expats and visitors in the country. The new law, which will be effective six months after its formal issuance, will ensure that residents and visitors continue to receive quality healthcare at government and private healthcare facilities as per their insurance coverage.
The new law will also bind all employers to provide basic health insurance for their non-Qatari workers. This will benefit tens of thousands of workers who were hitherto dependent on government-run facilities for their healthcare needs. Residents applying for visas for others will also be required to arrange health insurance for them for the duration of their stay in the country.
The Ministry of Public Health has been working to upgrade the public healthcare system, in order to keep pace with the growing population and urbanisation in the country. The health insurance system will alleviate the burden on the public healthcare system by engaging the private healthcare providers. This, in turn, will reduce waiting time in the government health facilities in the country and provide appointments for medical consultations easily within a record time that meets the health needs of citizens with the highest level of quality.
Until the new law is effective, the Ministry of Public Health said all residents will continue to receive healthcare services at Hamad Medical Corporation hospitals, PHCC health centres and other public healthcare facilities.
Over the decades, Qatar has built a state-of-the-art healthcare system, which has stood the test of time and successfully dealt with challenges. The way Qatar’s healthcare system responded to the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic has been exemplary. The Hamad Medical Corporation and the Primary Health Care Corporation, led by the Ministry of Public Health, worked like a well-oiled machine.
After the outbreak of the pandemic, the existing healthcare facilities were expanded and new facilities established in a matter of days. This ensured that each patient, even at the height of the pandemic, received the best medical care. The government also set up numerous testing centres and fully-equipped free quarantine facilities for tens of thousands of COVID-19 cases.
The healthcare system’s preparedness and effective steps taken by the government saved many lives during the pandemic. As a result, Qatar’s 608 deaths from COVID-19 complications is one of the lowest mortality rates in the world.
The country was also one of the first to roll out COVID-19 vaccination soon after the availability and regulatory approvals of the vaccines. More than 83.5 percent of the country’s total population is now fully vaccinated with two doses.
