Qatar - No layoffs in primary health centres

Citation

(2010), "Qatar - No layoffs in primary health centres", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 23 No. 8. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2010.06223hab.010

Qatar - No layoffs in primary health centres

Article Type: News and views From: International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Volume 23, Issue 8

Keywords: Primary healthcare, Healthcare organisations, Public healthcare, Quality healthcare systems

No employee of any primary health care center (PHC) in Qatar would be sacked as part of a major overhaul currently under way in this sector, a senior official has said. The staff can also expect a salary hike as part of the restructuring.

A decision to separate the PHCs from the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) taken some time ago have now came into force, Dr Mariam Abdul Malik, director of the Primary Health Centres told a seminar here.

The PHCs that had been run by the HMC have now become an independent entity under the direct supervision of the Supreme Council of Health (SCH).

The transformation took a considerably long time due to the structural and administrative procedures involved, said the official. The name Primary Health Care Corporation was suggested for the new entity, but it has yet to be finalized, she added.

A separate budget will be allocated for primary health centers and new departments have been developed as part of the restructuring. The PHCs are also getting a new logo.

The official assured that the restructuring would not result in staff layoffs. On the contrary, the PHCs are looking for more qualified staff to meet the increasing demand from patients. A rapid growth in the population over the past years had been putting tremendous pressure on these facilities in terms of services and facilities.

The Minister of Public Health and Secretary General of the SCH H E Abdullah bin Khalid Al Qahtani has approved a proposal to raise the salaries and other allowances of the existing staff, including nurses and physicians, added Malik. The salary rise for the employees will be carried out based on an internal assessment. Job descriptions could change under the new structure with added duties and responsibilities for certain categories. A cabinet decision on the new wage scheme has been anticipated.

Salaries of the PHC staff are still being paid by the HMC and this system will continue for another two months, until an alternative mechanism is in place, said the official.

The PHCs that have been facing a staff shortage following the resignation of a number of nurses and doctors over the past three years is in the process of recruiting new staff, she said. There is a plan to bring more nurses and physicians from Arab countries and the process will start very soon.

The PHCs all over the country of late, had undergone major changes directed towards improving performance and upgrading the quality of services.

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