The National Planning Council hosts H.E. Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Managing Director of Hamad Medical Corporation, for the fourth episode of “Podcast AlTanmiya", to showcase Hamad Medical Corporation's readiness and its role in achieving the goals of the Third National Development Strategy and Qatar National Vision 2030.
The episode covers Hamad Medical Corporation's efforts to improve patients' access to specialised care and reduce waiting times, along with a review of supply chain management and the corporation's strategic direction, which places the patient and the fight against chronic diseases at the top of its priorities.
In this context, H.E. Al Suwaidi, Managing Director of Hamad Medical Corporation, stated: "Our strategic focus at Hamad Medical Corporation from 2020 to 2030 is grounded in one main principle: the patient. All our investments in technology and equipment serve that goal, with particular focus on chronic diseases, foremost among them cancer, heart disease, and genetic disorders, with the aim of raising life expectancy and improving quality of life. These goals are directly linked to the national health strategy, and we are held accountable for them through performance indicators."
To address delayed appointments, Al Suwaidi explained: "One of the most notable challenges we faced when I joined Hamad Medical Corporation in 2024 was waiting lists exceeding 70,000 patients, with an average wait of 58 days for a first appointment. We set a target for patients to be seen within 14 days and worked towards it by contracting with the private sector and running evening clinics, until we reduced the average to 16 days."
The episode also discusses Hamad Medical Corporation's readiness and continuity of healthcare, reviewing the mechanisms in place to ensure the continued availability of medicines, treatments, and medical supplies during periods of regional tension or instability, as well as the organisation of the medication dispensing system, particularly for patients with chronic diseases who depend on regular, long-term treatment.
On this point, the Managing Director of Hamad Medical Corporation highlighted the corporation's flexibility in adapting to change, saying: "The circumstances we went through in 2026 made us reconsider how we manage our supply chains. We temporarily reduced dispensing of chronic disease medications from a three-month supply to a one-month supply as a precautionary measure to reorganise our relationship with suppliers, without halting dispensing altogether. Alhamdulillah, within about a month and a half, we had reorganised the supply chains, and things returned to normal, with medications dispensed again for a three-month period."
The episode also highlights the "patient journey" within the healthcare system, from how a patient moves from a health centre to the corporation's hospital network, through to being directed to specialised departments.
H.E. Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Suwaidi, Managing Director of Hamad Medical Corporation, also emphasised the importance of data in developing the health sector, saying: "I have an interactive monitoring dashboard that includes all of the corporation's performance indicators. Quality cannot be improved, nor can sound decisions be made, without accurate data. Today we have reached a very advanced level of performance measurement, one that extends even to the level of the individual physician."
“Podcast AlTanmiya" is a dialogue platform that follows key aspects and developments of Qatar's national development journey, through which the National Planning Council hosts a group of leading decision-makers, including ministry undersecretaries and CEOs, to highlight the integration of government work as a unified system to achieve the aspirations of the Third National Development Strategy.
Viewers can watch Episode 4 on the National Planning Council's various social media platforms, and can also send their questions and inquiries to future podcast guests via the Development Podcast page on the National Planning Council's website.
