Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) has reduced the average waiting time for patients to secure their first specialist appointment from 58 days in 2024 to about 16 days, HMC director-general Mohamed bin Khalifa al-Suwaidi has said.

The reduction followed measures including co-operation with private hospitals, referrals of selected cases to the private sector, evening clinics and two-shift operations. HMC is now targeting specialist appointments within 14 days.

Speaking on the National Planning Council’s ‘Development Podcast’, al-Suwaidi said more than 70,000 patients were on waiting lists when he assumed responsibility for HMC in 2024. He also highlighted steps to strengthen medicine supplies and improve patient feedback through follow-up calls after emergency department visits.

HMC’s 14-hospital network provides more than 22,000 specialised health services to citizens and residents. The corporation is using data, technology and performance monitoring to improve service quality, patient experience and healthcare outcomes, while keeping patients at the centre of its long-term strategy.

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