Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) delivered more than 21,000 babies across its hospital network in 2014, representing a 4.5% increase in births compared to 2013.
In recent years, HMC has placed particular emphasis on expanding its care services, and in particular maternity services, outside Doha through its three general hospitals in Dukhan, Al Wakra and Al Khor.
Prior to the opening of Al Khor Hospital in 2006, Women's Hospital was HMC's sole provider of maternity services. Yet with the Cuban and Al Wakra hospitals opening in 2012, there are now far greater options available for parents to decide where to deliver their babies. Expectant mothers have benefitted from this greater choice, with many choosing to deliver their babies at one of HMC 's general hospitals.
Mohamad Al Jusaiman, Deputy Chief of HMC 's General Hospitals Group, emphasized the benefits offered by the general hospitals to patients: "The expanding services provided outside Doha mean expectant mothers now have a greater choice of where to deliver their babies, with specialist care services available closer to patients' homes. Additionally, the growth and expansion of our maternity services in Dukhan, Al Wakra and Al Khor has enabled patients' greater diversity of access to specialist maternity services, offered in a modern, beautiful environment".
In 2014, the number of babies born at all three general hospitals increased on the previous year. Al Wakra Hospital, with 3,673 births, recorded a 77% increase on 2013, 1,197 babies were born at Al Khor Hospital in 2014, a seven percent increase on the previous year. Births at The Cuban Hospital increased by 88% over the same period, with 256 births throughout 2014 In 2014, one-quarter of all babies born across the HMC network were delivered at hospitals other than Women's Hospital, a figure that has continued to increase in recent years.
HMC 's Managing Director, Dr Hanan Al Kuwari, PhD, highlighted the basis of HMC 's services: " HMC is committed to the development of a unified system of healthcare, delivered across multiple sites. The fundamental principle of one system, multiple sites, means that patients can expect uniformly high standards of care wherever and whenever they choose to access HMC 's services. These standards apply to all obstetric and gynecological services, as well as neonatal and postnatal care, ensuring mothers and their babies are provided excellent healthcare services throughout all our hospitals." The model of public sector maternity services in Qatar is set to change significantly with the opening of both HMC 's new women's hospital and Sidra Medical and Research Center, as Professor David Barlow, Chairman, Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of Women's Services at HMC explained: "Sidra and the new women's hospital will each provide similar capacity, between them handling the majority of deliveries in the public sector. In the future there will be a more even division of births across all public hospitals: the new women's hospital, Sidra Medical and Research Center, Al Khor Hospital , Al Wakra Hospital and The Cuban Hospital, offering greater choice to patients."