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HE Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari

QATAR - Health & Education

From Each Her Own

Minister, Public Health

Bio

HE Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari was appointed Minister of Public Health in January 2016. She worked as managing director of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) before being appointed Minister of Public Health. She joined HMC’s Women’s Hospital in 1996 and rose through the ranks to become Director of the Women’s Hospital in 2003, assistant managing director of operations in 2005, and finally managing director of HMC in 2007. She is also chairperson of the Qatar Biobank Board of Directors as well as the Academic Health System International Advisory Board. She is a member of the Sidra Board of Governors and the Board of Directors of the Qatar Foundation for Social Work. She holds a PhD in healthcare management from Brunel University.

What were some of the ministry’s major accomplishments after completing the National Health Strategy 2011-2016? Improving the health of Qatar’s population is a key element of Qatar’s National Strategy 2030 […]

What were some of the ministry’s major accomplishments after completing the National Health Strategy 2011-2016?

Improving the health of Qatar’s population is a key element of Qatar’s National Strategy 2030 and the first National Health Strategy (NHS) 2011-2016 has provided the building blocks to make this a reality. Working with our main providers in healthcare—Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), and private clinics—we have started the important shift from treatment to prevention. This first strategy enabled us to develop plans for tackling some of Qatar’s most pressing health problems, including cancer, diabetes, and mental health. I am especially proud of the creation of the National Cancer Registry, as well as a national screening program for breast and bowel cancer and the opening and expansion of both primary care and specialist facilities.

What measures is the ministry taking to increase the number of doctors in Qatar?

Qatar’s population is rapidly growing and is incredibly diverse. To meet the needs of our evolving nation, we are opening a range of new hospitals across the public health system that will increase the number of beds by 1,100. HMCs has begun the largest expansion program in its history. Four new hospitals—the Communicable Disease Center, Women’s Wellness and Research Center, Ambulatory Care Center, and Qatar Rehabilitation Institute—will significantly increase capacity across our system and provide state-of-the-art environments in which our expert teams can provide care for their patients. This is being done alongside similar growth in the PHCC, where it is increasing the number of its health centers to 35 in the coming years.

How will the healthcare industry of Qatar benefit from the first organ donation academy?

For many people, a transplant can mean the gift of life, and making the decision to register as a donor is a personal choice. At the heart of our organ donation system is fairness and equity. We have a single, unified waiting list and have led the way in terms of support for donors and their families. In 2015, HMC performed 19 kidney transplants and six liver transplants, a jump from previous years. The number of organ transplants increased tenfold between 2009 and 2015. More than 100,000 potential donors have registered with Qatar’s pioneering Organ Donor Registry, marking a major milestone for us. The academy will promote education and research in organ donation, both in Qatar and internationally.

What is your assessment of the private sector’s involvement in Qatar’s healthcare industry?

As our population continues to grow and its needs change, so too does the need for the public sector to work more collaboratively and closely with its private sector colleagues to deliver the best healthcare possible. HH Amir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani has acknowledged this and encouraged us to work together. He said in his address at the opening of the 45th Advisory Council meeting in November 2016 that although healthcare is the responsibility of the state, it is necessary that we must “benefit from an interaction between the private and public sectors.“ In the future, the private sector will play a fundamental role in helping reduce pressure on the public sector by running hospital facilities and providing certain services.

What is your outlook for the Ministry over the next 12 months?

HMC is opening three new hospitals before mid-2017, and the PHCC is opening new health centers in the coming months. We will also launch two national strategies: Qatar’s first Public Health Strategy and our new National Health Strategy, which covers 2017-2022. The Public Health Strategy sets a vision for “a comprehensive, dynamic and collaborative health system, working together to improve the health and prosperity of Qatar.“ The new National Health Strategy will build on the considerable work achieved as part of the NHS 2011-2016 based on three clear principles—better health, better care, and better value.

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