Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari
Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari is a Qatari healthcare management professional. In 2015 she appeared at #20 in the CEO Middle East list of the 100 most powerful Arab women. She was appointed as Qatar Minister of Public Health in January 2016 and serves on multiple medical boards in Qatar and the United States.
Education
She studied at Brunel University in the United Kingdom, earning her PhD in healthcare management in 2002.
Early career
She entered the field of healthcare management in 1996 by joining the Women's Hospital of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC). Since 2007, she has maintained her position as a Managing Director of HMC.
Current positions
Al Kuwari currently holds the following positions: • Chairperson of the Academic Health System International Advisory Board • Chairperson of the Hamad Healthcare Quality Institute International Advisory Board • Co-chairperson of the Joint Advisory Board of Weill Cornell Medicine - Qatar • Member of the Board of Regents[6] • Governor on the Board of Governors for Sidra Medicine As the Minister of Qatar's Public health, Al Kuwari is responsible for the functions of the Ministry of Health. This includes overseeing all programs in the public and private sectors. She works to ensure the efficiency of the service providers and public health service programs, and the growth of Qatar's National Health and Public Health Strategies. Recently, the Joint Committee Meeting on 'Health in All Policies' was participated in by eleven ministries and government entities. Al Kuwari presided over the meeting, which was held at the Ministry of Public Health headquarters. During this meeting, she encouraged joint participation in order to further the objectives laid out by Qatar's Second National Development Strategy 2018-2022 Her Excellency Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari was appointed as Qatar’s Minister of Public Health in January 2016. She is also Managing Director of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), a position she has held since 2007. Her Excellency is the Chairperson of numerous boards, including the Academic Health System International Advisory Board, the Hamad Healthcare Quality Institute International Advisory Board, and a number of other committees at the Ministry of Public Health. She is also a Co-Chair for the Joint Advisory Board of Weill Cornell Medicine, Vice Chair for the Board of the Qatar Precision Medicine Institute and a member of the Qatar University Board of Regents, Sidra Medicine Board of Governors, Board of Directors of Qatar Foundation for Social Work as well as Qatar Foundation’s Qatar Research, Development and Innovation Council. In October 2018, Her Excellency was elected as an international member of the United States’ National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Following completion of a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in healthcare management, she obtained a PhD in Healthcare Management from Brunel University in the UK in 2002.
Community Edition ### on 2019-12-07 17:59:52Z | |
Interview: Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari
With the launch of the National Health Strategy (NHS) for 2017-22, what are your main future priorities for the health sector? HANAN MOHAMED AL KUWARI: There are three main areas we will be focusing on over the next few years: creating the conditions to help people lead healthier lifestyles, ensuring that we continue with the expansion of health facilities and delivering policies that will help to further raise the quality, safety and efficiency of the care we provide. There is a lot we can do to support healthier lifestyles – whether this means working with schools to create better awareness of healthy eating and exercise, delivering more programmes to help people quit smoking, supporting young people to have better oral health or working with other government ministries to reduce instances of asthma by improving air quality. This is important work. Today one in six of the adult population has diabetes, which can have a great impact on their quality of life. It costs our health system QR1.8bn ($494.3m) to treat diabetes and its complications. Without change the number of people with diabetes will potentially double over the next 40 years – impacting more people and their families and putting more pressure on the health system. However, this is not inevitable. By creating public health programmes that encourage young people to live healthier lifestyles we can help more people avoid diabetes. Will the programme to deliver new hospitals in Qatar – which has been a central part of health policy in recent years – continue? AL KUWARI: One of our priorities is to accelerate the programme of opening new health care facilities in Qatar. Since 2015 we have significantly expanded operating theatres at Hamad General Hospital and opened the new Communicable Disease Centre, the expanded Bone and Joint Centre, the Enaya Continuing Care Centre in Muaither and six new health centres. Meanwhile, Sidra, the Qatar Rehabilitation Institute, Women’s Wellness and Research Centre, and Ambulatory Care Centre have all begun to see their first patients. In late 2017 and early 2018 we will see Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City fully open alongside four new health centres, three new modern hospitals for male labourers, the new Hamad General Trauma and Emergency Department, and the Sidra inpatient facilities. All of these will come on-line at the same time that four new private hospitals are expected to open their doors. However, it is not just about the buildings; we have also attracted record-breaking numbers of staff to come work in our facilities, and Hamad Medical Corporation is the first health care system in the world to have all of its hospitals accredited by the Joint Commission International under the Academic Medical Centre programme. Our new hospitals will help us get closer to international best practices in terms of beds per person and help us improve access to those services. What plans does the ministry have to help increase quality across the health care system? AL KUWARI: Obviously the new NHS 2017-22 will set a clear policy agenda for the next five years, but all of the activity that the ministry undertakes needs to be linked to ensure we are making the most effective use of our resources and ensuring that all parts of the health system are working together to continuously improve patient care. Whether it is our accreditation and licensing programme, which helps set the standards that health care providers need to meet, or our e-health strategy, which is linking all public providers together to share patient information – every programme is designed to improve quality of care and drive a better patient experience. We will also continue to develop initiatives that focus on delivering quality improvements, including the Academic Health System and the Hamad Healthcare Quality Institute. These key initiatives are playing an important role in joining together local stakeholders and enabling the integration of health systems.
FULL BILL OF HEALTH
The health minister is committed to continuing the growth of Qatar's healthcare system, with plans for more than 20 new facilities specializing in pediatrics, geriatrics, and mental health.
Corporation hospitals By QLNews
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari was appointed Minister of Public Health in 2016. She worked as managing director of HMC before being appointed Minister of Public Health. She joined HMC's Women's Hospital in 1996 and rose through the ranks to become director of the Women's Hospital in 2003, assistant managing director of operations in 2005, and finally managing director of HMC in 2007. She is also chairperson of the Qatar Biobank Board of Directors as well as the Academic Health System International Advisory Board. She is a member of the Sidra Board of Governors and the board of directors of the Qatar Foundation for Social Work. She holds a PhD in healthcare management from Brunel University.
Qatar has been ranked fifth best for health in the world by the UK's Legatum Institute. How has the quality of Qatar's health system contributed to this ranking and how does the system compare to international standards?
Improved life expectancy, better health outcomes, and investment in health infrastructure led to Qatar being ranked fifth in the world for health by the Legatum Institute, a London-based think tank, at the start of 2019. In compiling the health ranking in the annual prosperity index, Qatar's performance in areas including basic health outcomes, health infrastructure, preventative care, and physical and mental health were all evaluated, with the recent growth and development of Qatar's healthcare system playing a leading role in improvements across all these areas. Qatar has the highest life expectancy rate in the Eastern Mediterranean region, and its crude death rate per 100,000 population has reduced significantly throughout this decade. Additionally, Qatar is ranked in the top quartile in the Universal Health Coverage Index by the WHO and World Bank's 2017 Global Monitoring Report. In terms of healthcare access and quality, Qatar is ranked in the top 25% of the world and highest in the Gulf according to the WHO Global Burden of Disease 2018 report. The improvements of the healthcare system in recent years mean that we now measure our performance against the highest international standards. For example, for heart attack patients, the average time from arrival at hospital to acute coronary intervention is 68 minutes, compared to the international benchmark of 90 minutes, while 68% of stroke patients are treated with acute intervention within 60 minutes of arrival at hospital, exceeding the international benchmark of 50-60%.
The number of hospital beds has increased across the healthcare system in recent years. What are the plans to further increase the number of beds in both the public and private sectors?
Qatar's increasing population has meant the healthcare system has had to expand its infrastructure at a remarkable rate. Since 2016, we have opened seven new hospitals in the public sector, increasing the number of hospital beds in the public sector by around 40%. Qatar's private sector has also undergone significant expansion, with three new private hospitals and four diagnostic and treatment centers opened since 2016, as well as 95 general health centers and 89 company clinics. This expansion has led to a 36% in private sector hospitals beds in the country. This expansion in recent years has boosted the total bed capacity across the system significantly, and we are committed to continuing the growth of the healthcare system in Qatar in the coming years. From 2020 and beyond, there are plans for more than 20 new facilities, including specialist facilities for pediatrics, geriatrics, and mental health.
What are the plans and expectations of the Ministry of Public Health in the coming years in order to continue advancing the quality of care provided across the healthcare system?
Qatar's National Health Strategy 2018-2022 provides the framework and direction for the development of the healthcare system in the coming years. The strategy aims to further advance the quality of healthcare services we provide by focusing on seven priority population groups and five system-wide priority areas. The strategy's priority populations reflect an investment in both the current and future generations and include children, mothers, older people, and those with special needs. The system-wide priorities enable us to deliver a genuinely integrated model of care that strives to maintain well-being, while making sure that people receive well-coordinated care, delivered in a professional and safe environment at the appropriate level. Our efforts are guided by three overall goals: better health, better care, and better value. These help to ensure we focus on improving health and healthcare in a sustainable way.
Minister of Public Health elected as Vice-President of World Health Assembly
The World Health Assembly today elected HE Minister of Public Health Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari as Vice-President of the 74th session of the World Health Assembly. The World Health Assembly is the supreme decision-making body of WHO. It meets once a year and is attended by delegations from all WHO Member States. The main functions of the World Health Assembly are to determine the policies of the Organization, appoint the Director-General and supervise the financial policies of the Organization. HE Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari also leads the delegation of the State of Qatar participating in the meetings of the assembly, which kick off Monday 24 May until June 1st, and the meetings of the 149th Session of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization convened on June 2nd via video conferencing. Her Excellency Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari, Minister of Public Health, heads the Qatari delegation. The World Health Assembly's meeting will review this year's general theme on ‘Ending this pandemic, preventing the next: building together a healthier, safer and fairer world’ as well as a number of topics related to the four pillars: One billion more people benefitting from universal health coverage, one billion more people better protected from health emergencies, one billion more people enjoying better health and well-being and more effective and efficient WHO providing better support to countries. The World Health Assembly's Committee ‘A’ will discuss the public health emergency including response to (Covid-19) pandemic, the independent advisory oversight committee on WHO's health emergency program, WHO's work in health emergencies, strengthening WHO's global emergency preparedness and response, implementing international health regulations (2005), as well as mental health preparedness and response in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. The meetings will also review global work on patient safety and the political declaration of the third high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, the vaccination plan 2030, the global strategy and action plan on public health, innovation and intellectual property, antimicrobial resistance, health in the 2030 Sustainable Development Plan and the health workforce. The WHA's Committee (B) will discuss health conditions in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, the occupied Syrian Golan, WHO reform plan, and the global action plans which are expected to expire in one year, including the WHO Disability Action Plan 2014-2021, and the global health sector strategies on HIV, viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections for 2016-2021. The meetings will also review care systems during emergencies for universal health coverage and WHO's global strategy on health, environment and climate change. The World Health Assembly is the highest health policy-setting making body in the World Health Organization and meets once a year and is attended by delegations from all member states that work to define WHO policies and also appoint the Director-General and monitor WHO's financial policies.
Qatar is also participating in the meeting of the 149th Session of the WHO Executive Board on June 2nd, which will discuss many key topics, including the fourth pillar of enhancing more effective and efficient WHO in providing better support to countries., administrative and financial affairs, governance issues and WHO reform. The WHO Executive Board is concerned with enforcing, advising and facilitating the work of the World Health Assembly. (QNA)
Qatar organizes an event for Friends of Solidarity for Global Health Security group
Doha - The State of Qatar yesterday organized a virtual high-profile side event on "Protraction of the COVID-19 Crisis: Mitigating the Impacts and Protecting Future Generations " with the Friends of Solidarity for Global Health Security group, which took place on the sidelines of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly in partnership with Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Sierra Leone. Speaking at the high-level side event, HE Minister of Public Health Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari said that Qatar attaches great importance to the impact of the COVID-19 epidemic on the most vulnerable, including women and children. She expressed deep concern with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the most vulnerable countries, including the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), noting the severe disruption caused by the pandemic on educational systems. Al Kuwari said that "The COVID-19 pandemic is not only a global health crisis but also a humanitarian, human development and economic crisis. Robust global cooperation is essential. " she said. Her Excellency further explained that the crisis is exacerbating pre-existing education disparities by reducing the opportunities for many children and youth to continue their learning. HE the Minister of Public Health noted that as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, COVID-19 pushes us towards effective multilateral cooperation, stressing that only through solidarity and strengthening international cooperation, can we overcome this threat to us all be, enable the most vulnerable to respond, recover, and build back better. Her Excellency added: "The vision of His Highness Shaikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of the State of Qatar in global solidarity has been translated in Qatar's growing support to international action on several fronts. Qatar contributed 20 million US dollars to the World Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), to accelerate the development, and production of a vaccine for the virus. Qatar has also allocated 10 million US Dollars for WHO, to support equipment, diagnostics, therapeutics for COVID-19 and equitable distribution of vaccines to everyone who needs them worldwide, in order to save lives and leaving no one behind in a time of crisis. Qatar has also provided urgent medical assistance to dozens of countries." Her Excellency also explained that based on Qatar's deep commitment to SIDS, least developed countries and landlocked developing countries, Qatar looks forward to hosting the upcoming 5th United Nations Conference on LDCs in Doha, where the LDCs Programme of Action for the next 10 years will be adopted. HE Dr. Hanan Mohammed Al Kuwari reiterated Qatar's support for the United Nations in building a future of peace and prosperity for all.
Qatar co-chairs the Friends of Solidarity group for global health security, and the side event addressed ministers and representatives of the countries co-chairing the group; Canada, the Kingdom of Denmark, the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Sierra Leone, as well as Sheikha Alia Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations. During the virtual side event, a number of key themes were discussed on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis protraction on future generations, how such impact could be mitigated through joint action, the role of modern technologies and the private sector in contributing to the preparation for the second wave of COVID-19 or any other infectious diseases, and the needs and aspirations of young people in the context of COVID-19.
Qatar opens one of world’s largest vaccination centres
Doha Minister of Public Health HE Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari visited the new Qatar Vaccination Center — for business and industry sector — as the centre began operations on Tuesday. The new facility, one of the largest vaccination centres in the world, is the result of a collaboration between the Ministry of Public Health, Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Health Care Corporation and Qatar Charity, with support from the Ministry of Interior and ConocoPhillips-Qatar. The centre is one of multiple vaccination centres that have been established to ensure the Qatar’s vaccination programme is delivered at speed. “The opening of this new vaccination centre highlights Qatar’s commitment to continuing the fast roll-out of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme which has seen a noticeable increase in the number of vaccinated people,” said Dr Al Kuwari. “At the start of the year we announced a phased plan to deliver the vaccination programme and committed to vaccinating all eligible members of the population throughout 2021. Thanks to the hard work of healthcare staff and the overwhelming support of the public, we are now ahead of where we planned to be in terms of vaccination coverage. However, we remain committed to vaccinating as many eligible members of our community as possible and I encourage anyone who is offered an appointment to accept it without delay and get protected,” added Dr Al Kuwari. Dr Khalid Abdulnoor, Senior Consultant Emergency Medicine at Hamad Medical Corporation and lead for the Qatar Vaccination Center for Business and Industry Sector, said: “The new centre is dedicated to vaccinating key business and industry workers which plays an important role in supporting the safe roll-out of Qatar’s phased plan to lift COVID-19 restrictions. Covering more than 300,000 square metres, this is probably the largest vaccination centre in the world, with more than 300 vaccination stations and 700 staff providing capacity to administer more than 25,000 doses a day.” “To date, more than 300,000 key business and industry workers have already been vaccinated as part of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, with many of these receiving their vaccination at the Vaccination Center Industrial Area, which opened at the start of April,” explained Dr Abdulnoor. Dr Abdulnoor stated that the COVID-19 Vaccination Scheduling Unit is set up to support the booking and appointment process at the new vaccination centre. Businesses can schedule vaccination appointments for their staff by emailing QVC@hamad.qa. With the opening of the new Qatar Vaccination Center – for Business and Industry Sector- significantly boosting capacity of the National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme, the two drive-through vaccination centres and the one at the Qatar National Convention Center (QNCC) will close over the next two weeks. More than 320,000 people have visited the drive-through centers for their second dose of vaccines, but with summer temperatures continuing to rise, conditions have become very challenging for staff and service users. The last day of operation for Lusail COVID-19 drive-through center will be Wednesday (June 23), the last day of operation for Al Wakra COVID-19 drive-through center will be Wednesday (June 30), and the last day of operation for the vaccination center at QNCC will be Tuesday ( June 29). Dr Mariam Abdulmalik, Managing Director of Primary Healthcare Corporation, said: “The vaccination centre at the Qatar National Convention Center was initially set up to prioritise the vaccination of teachers and school staff. Since opening in February, more than 600,000 people – teachers, school staff and many other eligible members of the community - have been vaccinated at the center.” “With the new Qatar Vaccination Center – for Business and Industry Sector- providing capacity for more than 25,000 doses a day, and continuing capacity for 15,000 doses a day across our 27 health centres, the National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme maintains capacity for up to 40,000 doses a day,” explained Dr Abdulmalik. Dr Abdullatif Al Khal, Chair of the National Health Strategic Group on COVID-19 and Head of Infectious Diseases at HMC, encouraged anyone not yet vaccinated to play their part in getting back to normality by accepting their vaccine appointment invitation when eligible. “The efficacy of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines is exceptional – beyond what we could realistically have hoped for this time last year. Real-world clinical evidence shows the vaccines to be more than 95 percent effective at preventing severe sickness due to COVID-19. For the small minority of people who have been offered a vaccination appointment, but not yet accepted the offer, I encourage you to do so as soon as possible. It is important that you protect yourself; protect your loved ones; and help us get back to normal.” Her Excellency Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari is the Minister of Public Health for the State of Qatar and is also the Managing Director of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), the main national provider of hospital care. She has been Managing Director of HMC since 2007 and has led the Corporation in transforming into an integrated academic health system that has achieved numerous international accreditations and awards. H.E Dr Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari is a member of the Board of Sidra Medical and Research Center, the Joint Commission International (JCI) Middle East Advisory Council, the Association of Academic Health Centers International (AAHCI) Steering Committee and the Institute of Global Health Innovation, and Advisory Board Member of the World innovation Summit for Health (WISH). She is Chairperson of the Qatar Bio-Bank Board. She holds a PhD in healthcare management from Brunel University in the UK and has received several awards in recognition of her achievements.
Outstanding Achievements
WORKING AS ONE
The Ministry of Health focuses on collaborating with private hospitals and clinics on a range of initiatives to improve the quality, safety, and effectiveness of care services for patients.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Hanan Mohamed Al Kuwari was appointed Minister of Public Health in 2016. She has also been Managing Director of HMC since 2007. She is the Chairperson of the Qatar Biobank Board of Directors and sits on the Academic Health System International Advisory Board, the Hamad Healthcare Quality Institute International Advisory Board, and a number of other committees at the Ministry of Public Health. She is a member of the Qatar University Board of Regents, Sidra Medicine Board of Governors, Board of Directors of Qatar Foundation for Social Work, and Qatar Foundation’s Qatar Research, Development, and Innovation Council. In 2018, she was elected an international member of the United States’ National Academy of Medicine (NAM). Following completion of a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in healthcare management, she obtained a PhD in healthcare management from Brunel University in the UK. How have operations at the Medical City complex developed since its opening in 2017? The formal opening of the three new hospitals in Medical City—Qatar Rehabilitation Institute, Ambulatory Care Center, and Women's Wellness and Research Center—by His Highness the Amir was a momentous achievement for Qatar. The new hospitals significantly increase capacity across our system while also providing highly advanced environments in which our care teams can treat patients. We have made great progress since the opening. In 2018, a number of new services opened at the new hospitals, including the diabetes clinic at the Women's Wellness and Research Center and audiology and ear, nose, and throat services at the Ambulatory Care Center. Every new service has boosted our ability to deliver the best care to our patients. Moreover, activity has continued to increase monthly; some 10,000 patients receive care within these facilities every week. Given Qatar's growing population, how is HMC working to attract qualified human resources to meet new needs? Increased demand for our services is not new, because Qatar's population has been expanding at a rapid rate for the past 40 years. We have worked hard to attract the world's best talent, Qatari and non-Qatari, and are proud of our achievement in becoming an internationally recognized teaching institution and academic medical center. Each year, our medical education programs welcome over 100 new doctors in training and this number is increasing every year. In the lead up to the opening of the new Medical City hospitals, we undertook our largest-ever recruitment drive and attracted thousands of skilled clinical and support staff into our workforce. We are proud to have a skilled and dedicated workforce and understand the importance of looking after our employees. Numerous initiatives have been introduced across our organization in recent years, each aiming to make the daily lives of our employees as smooth, rewarding, and enjoyable as possible. The introduction of our human resources' self-service system has simplified the process for many employee requests. The Sogha discount program enables employees and their families to make great savings at a wide range of outlets and maximize the quality of life away from work. Moreover, our recreation centers allow employees to relax and exercise in advanced facilities on campus. How would you assess cooperation between the public healthcare system and private healthcare providers? Qatar's public and private sector healthcare providers all work toward the common goal of servicing the healthcare needs of the population. Along with the expansion of the public sector in recent years, the private sector has also undergone significant growth, with a number of new facilities boosting capacity. A patient referral system operates between the public and private sectors enables patients to efficiently transition between care providers. Notably, the ministry collaborates with many private hospitals and clinics on a range of quality and education initiatives, each aimed at improving the quality, safety, and effectiveness of care services for patients. What is your outlook for the health sector and the public system in Qatar for the year ahead? In the coming year, we will continue to expand capacity across our health system. HMC will continue to expand its services delivered out of its new general hospital in the industrial area and open a new trauma and emergency tower at Hamad General Hospital. In primary care, we will open two more health and wellness centers, boosting primary care's ability to help patients stay healthy as well as being the initial entry point for patients into the public health system. We will continue to strengthen the way in which health providers work together across the public health system. This will ensure patients experience smooth transitions and continuity of care from one provider to another along their entire treatment plan.