The majority of
nationals and Arab expats are happy with the quality of healthcare available in
the Gulf, with satisfaction levels rising to as high as 90 percent in Qatar,
according to a new study released this week.
Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) governments have increased their
investments in the healthcare industry as their countries are experiencing
serious health problems, such as obesity, diabetes and heart disease, reported
Gallup, which conducted the research.
Between a half and two-thirds of residents in Jordan, Iran, Algeria,
Palestine, Turkey and Lebanon are satisfied with local quality healthcare access,
while levels are only about half as high in Egypt, Iraq, Morocco and Yemen;
with Yemen being the lowest at 21 percent.
Qatar, which was recently declared the richest country in the world,
had the highest levels of satisfaction at 90 percent, followed by the UAE at 79
percent.
Coming third was Oman (78 percent), ahead of Bahrain (70 percent) and
Kuwait (62 percent), while Saudi Arabia was last in the GCC with 60 percent.
Investments include subsidising a large percentage of nationals and
expats’ healthcare needs, even if this means covering the costs for medical
tourism to other countries. Another strategy for meeting increasing care needs
includes further development of private care options for nationals and expats.
However, privatisation of care in these countries comes with other
challenges, such as staffing, quality oversight, and the economics of
reimbursement and insurance in a public-private healthcare system.
GCC numbers compare favourably with national populations in other
Middle Eastern and North African countries that are expected to face a
healthcare crush in the coming years.
Sara Anabtawi
arabianbusiness.com
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