For the first time ever, the Qatar Council for Healthcare Practitioners (QCHP) can already certify physicians from the Philippines as eligible for the “specialist” title within Qatar’s healthcare system.
The recently updated Approved Specialty Qualifications List for Physicians issued by the Qatar Ministry of Public Health acknowledges the specialization training that Filipino doctors undergo in the Philippines to make them eligible as specialists in Qatar.
This encompasses all Filipino doctors who are diplomates of Philippine Specialty Boards, who have completed their post-qualification degrees and required three years work experience, unless otherwise specified.
The inclusion of Filipino doctors in the list was the result of a successful meeting in Doha of top health officials of both nations led by Qatar’s Minister of Public Health Dr. Hanan Mohamed al-Kuwari and Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Paulyn Jean Rosell-Ubial.
Also present at the landmark meeting were Director Maylene Beltran of the DOH’s Bureau of International Health Cooperation and Dr. Jose Tiongco, chief executive of the Medical Mission Group (MMG) Hospitals and Health Services Cooperative of the Philippines.
The meeting, which was organized by the Philippine Business Council (PBC), included discussions on the plan of the MMG to establish a Filipino hospital and polyclinic in Qatar in partnership with Qatari investors.
The equivalency of qualifications now awarded to duly qualified Filipino doctors is an important step towards setting up these new healthcare facilities.
The discussion on equivalency of physician qualifications was spearheaded in 2015 by the Filipino Medical Association in Qatar with the support and endorsement of the Philippine Embassy.
The State of Qatar is among the countries in the Middle East in which a considerable number of Filipino doctors are practicing their profession.
“This is indeed a significant milestone not only for the health sector but for the Philippines as a nation, providing competent Filipino medical specialists to the outside world such as Qatar. This accolade to our very own doctors signifies the partnership of two countries to move forward in the quest to raise quality healthcare to a new level,” Ubial said.