Diabetes Type 1 | ExpatWoman.com
 

Diabetes Type 1

16
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 October 2015 - 19:40

Hi everyone

Thanks for reading this. It looks likely that myself and my husband will be relocating to Doha soon with his work. We are hoping that the company's medical insurance will cover him as he is a type 1 diabetic. If it doesn't I wanted to ask has anyone got any experience of living with diabetes in Qatar. Is care accessible and good? It is really the decider for us as to whether we move. We don't want his diabetes to hold him back but equally don't want to end up somewhere the care is not ok.

:)

33
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 29 October 2015 - 19:16
That's fantastic news! Be prepared for some things not happening as quickly as you want, it happens to everyone. Once you are here you will love it. And remember if you have any questions, no matter how silly you think it is, do ask. We have all been in your position, so hopefully we can answer the question. Congratulations ?
16
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 29 October 2015 - 00:47
Have heard great things about the Pearl so hoping to end up there and thanks for the tip re. taxis - things like that are so handy to know! We've said yes to the move today so see you in 2016 Doha!
33
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 October 2015 - 21:52
We came out end of January this year, oh boy how the time has flown past. I am loving life here, I'm not working and don't plan to, that's a personal choice though. You will hear a lot of negative things about Qatar, some things are correct and others things, well I find people can be negative about things just for the sake of it, and you will find that all over the world. The only thing that will frustrate you is the traffic, there are a lot of traffic jams, I don't currently drive, but will be soon. If you can avoid the busy times then you can get to place quite quickly. We have used taxis since we got here, very cheap compared to uk. We use Uber, which I find safer as you know reg no of taxi, drivers name etc, you access through phone so you know exactly where the taxi is and when it will arrive. Karma, the local taxis are awful, you get an occasional good one, but mostly they try to scam you, they don't put the meter on, pretend it's not working etc, I only take them when with hubby. When we arrived hubby's company put us in Ascot Towers in West Bay, which was a good introduction to the area, they were serviced apartments, right next to City Center mall. We stayed there for 2 months then we rented an apartment on The Pearl, which is just lovely, we call it Disneyland as its so different to the rest of Doha. It's very safe here, and I have never felt threatened, have heard the odd story or two, but it's like everywhere, you don't walk down dark alleyways at night, etc. The hotels are fabulous and the service is amazing, they are all 5 star. So, yes I'm glad we made the move, hope you will too! Hundreds of lovely places for coffee ?
16
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 October 2015 - 13:43
:biggrin: Couldn't get much of a better recommendation than that - sounds exceptional! Hope he is up and about soon. We are in London at the moment. If we are coming out it is likely to be in January and we should know by the end of this week.I will be coming out on my hubby's visa and then will try to find a job once I'm there. How are you finding it over there? Are you glad you made the move? Looking forward to that coffee.
33
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 27 October 2015 - 05:38
Hey no problem, glad to help. Also re the health system here, we have found it to be exceptional. Hubby had a fall and broke his kneecap, leg was weak from a previous injury, going back years ago. To cut a long story short, we spent most of the day at a specialist clinic, yes it took a while, but he got X-rays, MRI scan, consultation, blood tests etc, and scheduled for an operation 4 days later, now just over 10 days after op, he is on his feet, albeit on crutches, and has started physio, which he will have 3 times a week. His previous injury wasn't set right, and physio was a piece of paper with exercises to take home. Don't have any concerns re medical care, don't let it be a deal breaker. It would be great to meet up for a coffee when you get here, not if! Where are you based just now? This is a great forum for answering the questions you have. So don't hesitate to ask. ?
16
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 October 2015 - 22:36
Thank you so much yorkgirl, that is so reassuring and really really helpful. Appreciate it very much. If we do end up coming out will have to buy you a coffee to say thanks. ?
33
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 26 October 2015 - 22:23
Hi, Me and hubby have been here almost 10 months, we are both type 1 diabetic. We were hesitant about what the health care would be like out here. Husbands company gave us medical cover, and the option to pay extra to get a higher level of cover, which worked out at 200QR for both of us, and that's for a year. We are with MetLife. Check with husbands company re which company, and what the cover is, just to be sure. We attend a clinic in the Naseem Al Rabeeh medical centre on c-ring road, our GP is Dr Deepak, he is also the diabetic doctor and runs a diabetic clinic also. We have found him to be really helpful and very knowledgable. My blood sugars were running quite high, and with his advice I have managed to bring them down. We get our insulin free through medical insurance, the only thing we pay full price for is testing strips for blood glucose monitor. In fact we had to change our monitors as the ones we had in the uk used a different testing strip which is not available here in Qatar. We done this process through the local chemist, it's called a meter exchange. Remember that Qatar has a lot of people who are diabetic, albeit mostly type 2, but they are well equipped in dealing with diabetes. Feel free to ask me anything I may not have answered here. One thing we did do was to build up a good supply of insulin, needles etc before coming out, which helped until we found the clinic. Just so that we didn't run out. Good luck, and I hope you decide to come to Qatar. ?