info on clinics near west bay | ExpatWoman.com
 

info on clinics near west bay

56
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 11 January 2011 - 20:35

we live in the pearl and i was wondering about a couple of the clinics closest to us:
1. westbay clinic (this is how it's labeled on the marhaba map)
2. madinat khalifa (near Landmark)

basically, are these clinics ok for basic health needs, especially pediatric, general blood tests, etc.

i know al ahli hospital, hamad and doha clinic are very good, but for minor issues i wondered what the above places are like since they are also closest to us.

are these clinics private or public?

i've tried calling but neither one was picking up their phones. i thought that was a little odd.

any info would be appreciated.

616
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 13 January 2011 - 09:32
I'm impressed you managed to get someone on the phone! They don't do appointments - it's all drop in. You can get a temporary Hamad card at the health centre by showing passport and valid visa (including visa on arrival). It costs 35QAR for one week, not sure about longer. I've done this for a visitor and it was pretty straight forward. The Health Clinics are only open split shifts. Very roughly 7-1 and then 4-9. Check before as that's a guess! The pediatric emergency centres are open 24 hours and they will deal with non-emergencies happily but you may have a bit of a wait if you chose the wrong time.
9
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 12 January 2011 - 20:10
mrvm, I have been to the Future medical clinic and the majority of the staff there is Filipino with good command of english language. Same is with the doctors. Regarding the timings though the clinic is open from 7 to 11, the doctors have their own timings. Some only work the morning shift , some evening and some both so the best way is to call and get the info.
56
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 12 January 2011 - 17:48
lala: thanks for that. I did finally get someone on the phone today at Westbay Clinic, but due to a communication breakdown, had no idea if they could see me and my boy. So I went to Al Ahli instead. I don't have an RP yet. I assume I need one in order to get myself and my son the Hamad Health Card? asma sheikh: thanks for the info on Al Esraa. How is the English of the staff/doctors here? I assume this clinic is private? generally, are these clinics open 24/7 or only during specific times of day/night?
616
Posts
EW GURU
Latest post on 12 January 2011 - 13:40
mrvm - the ones you mention are Hamad Primary Care Clinics. Visits are free with a Hamad Health Card (which costs 100QAR a year) and medicine is very subsidised (I've never paid more than 15QAR regardless of how many things I've been prescribed. They are fine for basic needs and in particular are good if you know what you want (eg you want a specific blood test or to get confirmation of pregnancy). However, the level of English of reception staff is usually not great (not sure about these clinics in particular but at the Airport clinic it's effectively zero), it's quite a rigmarole working out what you need to do and where you need to go the first few times you visit (not only due to language difficulties, I've been approached by Arabic women asking me for help!) and I'd personally be a bit wary of the quality of doctor you're likely to encounter. They also like medicating a lot. Doctors usually have fluent or close to fluent English though. I used the airport clinic a lot when I didn't have private medical insurance and I was perfectly happy. However, I usually only go to the doctor when I need a sick note or already know what's wrong. I'm not certain if I'd trust them to diagnose correctly (same goes for nearly any doctor in Doha though!). I would also always go private for pediatrics but that partly depends on your financial situation. I do object to paying Al Ahli prices for antibiotics when I know the same thing would cost 5QAR at the health centre!
9
Posts
EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 12 January 2011 - 12:27
Here is the number for "Al Esraa Medical clinic" which located between Alfradan motors and Land Mark mall. Its 44989811. It is a branch of Future Medical Clinic located near Villagio Mall. These type of clinics a generally good for routine medical needs such as colds, pediatric issues and even have x-rays and blood tests. They charge about Qr 150 per visit but kids under 16 can get a health card for QR 199 for unlimited visits. Hope this helps.