Doha: The Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs represented by Endowment Fund Management Department has spent about QR4m on paying bills of kidney dialysis of poor expatriate patients in Qatar in 2018.
“We provide from QR3m to QR4m annually to the kidney patients undergoing dialysis from expatriate communities who are unable to pay their bills,” said Mohamad Yaquf Al Ali, Director of Endowment Fund Management Department.
However, he said that government is providing best treatments including renal dialysis to Qatari citizens free of cost. Al Ali was speaking at a Al Rayan TV programme on the achievement of Endowment Fund Management Department in 2018.
The financial aid to poor patients was spent in collaboration with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) which is the only provider of dialysis services in Qatar through its branches across the country. According to an HMC official who was talking on the same TV channel, HMC conducted 90,000 dialyses from January to November 2018.
Al Ali said that the Department spends huge amount of money from Endowment Fund on the projects of health care to support poor residents in Qatar.
“Qatar Cancer Society and Qatar Diabetes Association received QR300,000 and QR400,000, respectively. A total of QR700,000 was spent on the education of people with disability,” said Al Ali. He said Endowment Fund Management Department allocated QR1m for a national programme to enhance healthcare at schools.
“We gave about QR2.5m to provide a new mobile blood donation unit which is being equipped with advanced machines to serve the purpose in a better way,” said Al Ali. He said that the Department earmarked QR7.5m to build a new headquarters for Qatar Autism Center to serve for people with autism.
“We received an application from the Center seeking support to build its headquarters. After conducting a study, we approved and allocated the fund from the healthcare fund of the Department,” said Al Ali.
Speaking about the Endowment Fund Management Department, Al Ali said: “The Department is working under the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs from its headquarters located at Al Waab.”
The official further said that the Department is only authorised entity according to law of Qatar to receive the endowment and manage it. “The endowment fund is working on the basis of keeping main donation in term of cash or property and spending only its income as per the recommendation of the donors,” said Al Ali.
He said that the income of the endowment fund is being spent on various social works like building mosques, opening Holy Quran learning centers and supporting poor families and patients among many more.
