Healthcare in Qatar

Yes, get the insurance card. Believe me you'll need it.

Public hospitals are always crowded and sometimes not good to diagnose certain cases, When it comes to appointments private hospitals are much better.

The Medical insurance will help you save money, some hospitals are pretty expensive

thanks for your post Mrayes !

Hi,

What would be the rough cost for a private health insurance at Qatar? Which are the agencies for this and what is a recommended package?

Max

Im not sure about the costs because my work pays for my medical insurance, but the good companies are AXA & QIC

Hi,

In order to help expats and soon-to-be expats, we would like to invite you to share your experience on this topic, with updated info on the healthcare system.

Thank you in advance,

Julie
Expat.com Team

As Mrayes says, public healthcare is not serious, and always Doha public hospitals are congested. Private healthcare is expensive, so a health insurance would cushion your medical bill.

Besides, for minor ailments, such as general headache, body pain etc, you better bring domestic pain killers stuff from home.  Even Paracetamol, Omprezol etc. are expensive on one hand, and on other hand, pharmacists do not issue them without a doctor's prescription. Consulting private doctors, even for a minor illness, could be expensive for a foreign expatriate as their earnings vary in Qatar.

Despite other opinions, the health system is wonderful.  If you have insurance, you can go to any private hospital.  Depending on your policy, you would pay a copay or nothing for consultation, procedures and medicines.  The service is fast; you could walk-in with no probs.  Some higher scale facility may require you to book in advance due to the higher demand.  You would get all done the same day in a couple of hours: consultation, laboratory, imaging, diagnose, consultation again and medicines.  This would take longer than one month in the USA, and five months in Europe.  Examples:  Al-Ahli, Doha Clinic, Alemadi Hospital, among many others.  There are also smaller clinics, such as Al Esraa, which would consult you within minutes, which makes going to the big hospitals unnecessary for routine, or chronic illness such as diabetes, HBP, etc.

The public hospital name is Hamad.  It's crowded but clean; the personnel seems rude for lacking language skills, but are very professional and committed.  You could get an appointment within a week, and imaging - depending of the urgency, within one week.   Medicines are subsidized, therefore very inexpensive.  You pay $10 USD for a big bag with antibiotics and others for two months.

All over Qatar, most of the nurses and lab technicians are Filipinos.  As you should know, Philippines produces nurses for the whole world, as such, the USA is full of Filipino nurses.   Filipinos are good, kind, friendly, compassionate, but above all, very hygienic.   You won't find a Filipino, in any field of work, with body odor, which is common in other ethnics.

At times, picky western expats find the experience difficult due to a rigid mindset. Depending where you go, you'd find people with a different look and clothes.  Al Ahli is the most privileged where mostly all patients look or pretend to be Hollywood stars.

I'd regret leaving Qatar just for missing the health care.  In the USA is really bad.

Julien, I have Cigna for both US and Qatar.  U.S. $260/mo.  Zero copayment for doctors medicines lab imaging.  Approval instantaneous.  No questions asked no hazzle.  I had accident required physiotherapy 3 times/week one whole year, MRI CT scan all no issues ever.  Therapists the best ever dreamed from Jordan and Philippines.  Top of the art equipment and facilities.  I was receiving therapy in Miami sports rehab center among million dollars baseball and basketball players.  Here was better.  Thanks Doha for my recovery.  Now normal going to gym etc.  long life to Qatar.

Please don't bother me