Qatar faces no shortage of beds for COVID-19 patients

Tribune News NetworkDoha Qatar faces no shortage for beds to treat COVID-19 patients whether in critical care units or in regular wards, Hamad Medical Corporation’s Intensive Care Department head Dr Ahmed al Muhammad has said. The country has designated five hospitals — Communicable Disease Centre, Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital, The Cuban Hospital, Mesaieed Hospital and Ras Laffan Hospital — exclusively for COVID-19 care and they have a combined ICU capacity of nearly 400 beds, which can be increased to 700, Dr Ahmed said.Besides, the government has designated four health centers as test-and-hold facilities in addition to a hospital for medical isolation.In a statement issued to the Government Communication Office, Dr Ahmed said the HMC has increased the ICU beds at the Hazm Mebaireek General Hospital from 15 to 221.Dr Ahmed said most of the patients at the designated COVID-19 hospitals are non-critical. Separate sections have been allocated for children and pregnant women in these hospitals, he added.Other public hospitals continue to receive emergency and regular cases through Hamad Hospital, Al Khor Hospital and Al Wakrah Hospital without delaying or endangering patients’ lives, the doctor said.The rapid adaptation of the Hamad Medical Corporation to the current crisis is reflected in its robust measures including home-delivering medications and consultations and providing psychological support through voice or video phone calls.