Boston, MA -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/14/2013 -- Qatar's public healthcare system will come under greater financial pressure as medicines and healthcare demand rises in line with the country's changing demographic and epidemiological profile. As such, a more balanced distribution of healthcare costs will become increasingly necessary. The introduction of a national health insurance model, replacing the free universal healthcare system, will help to distribute these costs. However, BMI highlights one of the key challenges of an insurance-based system will be maintaining healthcare provision for the disadvantaged.

Headline Expenditure Projections

- Pharmaceuticals: QAR1.52bn (US$416mn) in 2012 to QAR1.73bn (US$474mn) in 2013; +13.9% in local currency and US dollar terms. Forecast revised slightly upwards from Q313 due to macroeconomic modifications.
- Healthcare: QAR13.56bn (US$3.72bn) in 2012 to QAR15.15bn (US$4.16bn) in 2013; +11.7% in both local currency and US dollar terms. Forecast revised slightly downwards due to macroeconomic modifications.

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Risk/Reward Rating: Qatar's risks are particularly low in comparison with the rest of the MEA region, although its potential rewards are dampened by the small market size. Nevertheless, Qatar's high level of urbanisation, rapid population growth and rising prevalence of chronic lifestyle diseases creates an environment in which there is strong potential for market growth. For Q413, Qatar has moved up one position in BMI's Pharmaceutical Risk/Reward Rating Index for the Middle East and Africa matrix to sixth place, while maintaining its Q313 score of 52 out of 100.

Key Trends And Developments

June 2013

Qatar's healthcare system needs additional investment of around US$550mn and 2,000 additional doctors and nurses to improve healthcare services, according to the recommendations of Qatar's National Primary Health Care Strategy 2013-2018. The study, launched by the country's health ministry, Primary Health Care Corporation, revealed that the government needs to raise its spending on primary healthcare to QAR3.8bn (US$1.03bn) by 2017 and to QAR4.1bn (US$1.1bn) by 2022, from the existing QAR1.8bn (US$494mn). The study also highlighted the need to more than double the sector's operational staff by 2018.

A new surgery centre, expected to be complete in 2015, is being constructed at Hamad General Hospital. The new centre will comprise 20 new operation theatres to facilitate bariatric, paediatric, minimally invasive, trauma vascular and transplant surgeries. The centre will also provide magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scans among other imaging facilities inside the operation theatres.

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