Qatar strengthens healthcare system with prevention at the core
Primary Health Care Corporation leads shift toward early detection, family medicine, and lifestyle-focused care
DOHA, Qatar (MNTV) — Qatar is reinforcing its healthcare system by placing prevention at the center of national health policy, with the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) driving a model that prioritizes early detection, healthy lifestyles, and continuous care.
According the Peninsula Qatar, PHCC, which operates a wide network of health centers across the country, has become the first point of contact for millions of patients.
Family physicians are increasingly focusing not only on treatment but also on screenings, vaccinations, and lifestyle interventions designed to prevent illness before it develops.
According to PHCC data, more than 5.17 million patient visits were recorded in 2024. Of these, 61%—approximately 3.1 million consultations—were for family medicine, including over three million routine checkups, alongside care for maternal health, chronic disease management, and complex cases.
Preventive health services accounted for a further 14% (732,792 visits), covering school clinics, wellness screenings, well-baby checks, and smoking cessation programs.
The figures highlight Qatar’s gradual shift from disease treatment to disease prevention, a transformation now shaping policy and professional debate.
A recent study in the Qatar Journal of Public Health argued that the long-standing specialty of community medicine no longer aligns with the demands of modern healthcare.
While community medicine has historically guided public health programs, preventive medicine integrates clinical and population-level approaches, better reflecting current needs.
Since 2003, more than 70 specialists have been trained in community medicine under Qatar’s residency program, but the study noted a gap between training, which follows preventive medicine standards, and certification, which remains tied to the Arab Board’s framework.
The authors called for formally rebranding the field as “preventive medicine” to clarify roles, align education with practice, and strengthen support for prevention-focused policy.
Qatar’s efforts also depend on cultivating future physicians in primary care. A separate study, published in the National Library of Medicine, surveyed 262 medical students in 2023 and found that surgery remained the most popular career choice, followed by internal medicine and pediatrics.
Family medicine ranked lower, but interest increased significantly among students in the clinical phase or with personal ties to the field.
Researchers suggested that mentorship and early exposure could help attract more students to family medicine, a specialty critical to sustaining Qatar’s prevention-first healthcare strategy in the long term.
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