Doha, Qatar: The Urgent Consultation Center (UCC) at Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) this month, marked five years of operation, having fielded more than 800,000 calls since its inception.
Launched in 2020 to ensure patients had access to essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Urgent Consultation Center continues to provide fast and easy access to essential healthcare services for patients. The telephone-based UCC allows patients to speak to healthcare professionals to obtain appropriate diagnoses. Calls are triaged by a doctor to determine which specialty the patient should be referred to.
While the UCC is not a substitute for regular follow-up appointments in outpatient clinics, it serves as a valuable support system for managing urgent medical needs between scheduled visits. It ensures that patients receive timely medical advice, prescription refills, discussion of investigation results, and necessary referrals to OPD, PHCC, or the emergency department without unnecessary delays.
The service covers 14 specialties including: Urology, General Medicine, Cardiology, Geriatric Medicine, Pain Management, Neurology, Dermatology, ENT, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Pediatrics, Vascular Surgery, Neurosurgery, Oncology/ hematology and dietetics.
Dr. Khalid Al-Rumaihi, Head of Urology at HMC and Lead of the UCC said over the course of its five years, the service had a 97 percent response rate to patients calls.
"This service has been instrumental in providing accessible and timely healthcare to our community,” Dr. Al Rumaihi said. “In the past five years, we have witnessed firsthand the positive impact it has had on patient experience and the efficiency of our healthcare system. The UCC offers patients the opportunity to speak with highly qualified medical professionals who can assess their symptoms, provide immediate advice, and direct them to the appropriate level of care.”
“The service has also empowered patients to make informed decisions about their health and, has provided a convenient way to access key services, which has had significantly reduced the need for them to visit hospital.”
The UCC operates from 8am to 3pm Sunday to Thursday. Patients can access the service by calling Qatar's unified health sector hotline on 16000 and selecting option 3 for urgent medical consultations with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC).
