Non-emergency Medical Services In Qatar Remain Suspended

The Qatar government has extended the suspension of non-emergency medical services in private health facilities, including dental clinics, dermatology and laser clinics, cosmetic surgery clinics and surgeries, with the exception of emergency cases.

The government also decided to extend the suspension of services of diet and nutrition centres, physiotherapy clinics, complementary (alternative) medicine, home healthcare services, except for long-term nursing contracts, and health centres for people with special needs.

The Ministry of Public Health may permit any of these private health facilities to provide some medical services if possible, through modern means of communication.

The continuing ban will hit locals hard and the 30,000 who normally go overseas for medical care have a dual problem.

Although Qatari nationals, but not local expatriates, can in theory travel overseas, they have been strongly advised to avoid all except essential travel. With the exception of the UK, most countries that Qatari medical tourists normally go to have closed their inbound borders; the UK offers only limited private care and with a very high pandemic death rate is not an attractive proposition for treatment.

Qatar is getting free help from Cuban doctors after a request was made to Havana.