Doha • the introduction of a health insurance system is hop to increase accessibility to good healthcare services by nationals and expatriates alike. Crowding at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) would also be minimized.

According to Dr Ashraf Karrara, a surgical advisor with a private clinic: "Health insurance is of grand importance to national and expatriates. It is applied worldwide, as well as in countries like the UAE and Kuwait. Health insurance plays an important role in developing the health sector."

Implementation of a health insurance plan would also lead to even distribution of patients among public and private facilities, resulting in much of the load being removed from the overstretched HMC. The number of private hospitals will also increase as a result.