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Children's health in Doha

Doha offers top-level medicine, with two pillars: the public network of Hamad Medical Corporation and the PHCC health centres, open to health card holders, and Sidra Medicine, the hospital dedicated to women and children. Here is how to find your way, from emergencies to the vaccination record, based on official websites and the French embassy list.

Verified on 30 October 2026

How the healthcare system works

Two circuits coexist: the public one (PHCC centres first, Hamad hospitals behind), subsidised for health card holders, and the private one, where you go directly with your insurance card. Many expat families use both.

Good to know

  • Since Law No. 22 of 2021, health insurance is mandatory for all expats and visitors. Employers must insure their foreign staff with an insurer registered with the Ministry of Public Health, for basic cover. Source
  • The health card, open to citizens and residents, gives access to all PHCC centres and Hamad facilities: consultations and non-emergency care are subsidised, and prescriptions are filled at reduced rates in government pharmacies. Source
  • PHCC, the public primary care network, is the front door: family medicine, child check-ups, vaccines, pregnancy follow-up and minor emergencies. Hamad Medical Corporation runs the public hospitals and emergency departments. Source
  • Sidra Medicine, in Education City, is a hospital for women and children; it has direct billing agreements with several insurers and also accepts self-paying patients. Check your cover before an appointment. Source
  • French social security does not follow you: the state covers neither care, hospital stays nor repatriation abroad. Read your policy's limits and exclusions (maternity, dental, speech therapy). Source

Addresses

  • Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC)

    General practitioner

    Une trentaine de centres de santé dans tout le pays

    The public family medicine network: you are registered with the centre nearest your home. Appointments, prescriptions and video consultations on the Nar'aakom app.

    Website Source

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Registering: health card, PHCC centre and paediatrician

As soon as the family's QIDs arrive, apply for health cards: they open a file at the PHCC centre in your neighbourhood. In parallel, private insurance lets you see a paediatrician directly at a clinic.

Good to know

  • The health card is requested on the Nar'aakom app, after logging in with your QID to the national authentication system: for each family member, a copy of the QID and a lease or Kahramaa (water, electricity) bill. Married residents apply through PHCC only. Source
  • For a resident child, you need their QID, a 4 x 3 cm photo and, for a first card for a child born and vaccinated in Qatar, their vaccination card; payment is by bank card only. Source
  • The PHCC centre nearest your home gives you a file number: that is where you will follow vaccines, check-ups and minor consultations. PHCC also answers on 107. Source
  • In the private sector, no registration: you book a paediatrician at a clinic accepted by your insurer, with your insurance card and QID. The embassy list below shows French-speaking practitioners. Source
  • Bring to the first appointment: the French health record (with an English translation of the vaccines, very useful for school), reports of any ongoing follow-up and the list of current treatments by international non-proprietary name.

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Emergencies: 999 and paediatric emergency care

For a child under 14, Hamad's paediatric emergency centres (PECs) are open day and night; Sidra Medicine treats children up to 18. Over 14, Hamad directs patients to its adult emergency departments.

Good to know

  • Fire, medical emergencies and police: 999, a single number. Water or electricity emergency (Kahramaa): 991. Source
  • Hamad's PECs treat children under 14 for high fever with lethargy, breathing difficulties, seizures, persistent vomiting or falls. A paediatric emergency hotline answers 24/7 on +974 4439 6066. Source
  • For less serious issues (colds, ear infections, minor injuries), PHCC has urgent care units, some for children, and Sidra runs a paediatric urgent care clinic open 8am to midnight, billed to insurance or the patient. Source
  • Poisoning or something swallowed: the Qatar Poison Center, run by Sidra, is free and available 24/7 on +974 4003 1111. Source
  • Serious emergency involving a French national (accident, hospital admission, death): the embassy has an out-of-hours duty line on +974 6684 5048. Source

Addresses

  • Sidra Medicine, urgences pédiatriques

    Emergency

    Al Luqta Street (Street 2309), Zone 51, Education City

    Emergency department open 24/7 for children aged 0 to 18, paediatric urgent care from 8am to midnight and the reference trauma centre for under-14s.

    Website Source

  • Pediatric Emergency Center Al Sadd (Hamad)

    Emergency

    Al Sadd

    Hamad's main paediatric emergency centre, open 24/7, for under-14s.

    Website Source

  • Pediatric Emergency Center Al Rayyan (Hamad)

    Emergency

    Al Rayyan

    Paediatric emergencies open 24/7, handy for families in Al Waab, Al Gharrafa and Education City.

    Website Source

  • Pediatric Emergency Center Airport (Hamad)

    Emergency

    Quartier de l'ancien aéroport

    Hamad paediatric emergency centre for the east of the city, for under-14s.

    Website Source

  • Aisha Bint Hamad Al Attiyah Hospital (Hamad)

    Emergency

    Al Waab

    Public hospital with an adult emergency department and a paediatric emergency centre.

    Website Source

  • Al Wakra Hospital (Hamad)

    Emergency

    Al Wakrah

    Adult and paediatric emergencies for southern Doha.

    Website Source

  • Hamad General Hospital, Trauma and Emergency Center

    Hospital

    Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City, Doha

    The country's main emergency and trauma centre, for adults and teenagers from 14.

    Website Source

  • Women's Wellness and Research Center (Hamad)

    Emergency

    Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City, Doha

    Emergency department for obstetrics and gynaecology only: the right place for a pregnancy emergency in the public system.

    Website Source

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French-speaking doctors

The French embassy in Qatar publishes a list of French-speaking health professionals, updated on 7 October 2026. It is provided for information only, without engaging the administration's responsibility for the quality of care or fees, and the choice of practitioner is free. All work privately. The list includes no psychologist or speech therapist: for those needs, ask Doha Accueil, the lycées or the Ma Baguette à Doha community.

Good to know

  • The embassy's medical adviser is a French-speaking GP: a good first contact for a newly arrived family. Source
  • Before the appointment, check that the clinic is in your insurer's network: the listed practitioners work in different private facilities.
  • The list shows the languages spoken by each practitioner: most consult in French, English and Arabic. Source

Addresses

  • Dr Maya Jalloul

    General practitioner

    West Bay Medicare, The Gate Mall, West Bay

    General practitioner, medical adviser to the French embassy.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, AR

    Website Source

  • At Home Doc

    General practitioner

    Consultations à domicile dans tout Doha

    Home-visit and phone general practice service, listed by the embassy: precious with a feverish child in the middle of the night.

    Website Source

  • Dr Bachar Bachar

    Paediatrician

    Doctor Bachar Pediatric Clinic, Doha

    Paediatrician, at his own paediatric practice.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, AR

    Source

  • Dr Abderrahmane El Kadhi

    Sidra Medicine, Education City

    Paediatric urological surgeon.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, AR

    Website Source

  • Dr Naima Ouahrani

    DN Clinic, Doha

    Gynaecologist.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, AR

    Source

  • Dr Camille Hadad

    Dentist

    Dr. Hassan Al Abdulla Dental Center, D Ring Road

    Dentist.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, AR

    Source

  • Dr Ali Mardassi

    West Bay Medicare, The Gate Mall, West Bay

    ENT specialist: recurring ear infections, tonsils, hearing.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Website Source

  • Dr Yana Goncharova

    Al Farid Hospital, Villaggio Mall, Al Waab

    Dermatologist.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, RU, UK

    Website Source

  • Dr Ismail Moussa

    West Bay Medicare, The Gate Mall, West Bay

    Rheumatologist and sports physician.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, AR

    Website Source

  • Dr Bruno Olory

    Aspetar, Sport City Street, Aspire Zone

    Orthopaedic and trauma surgeon.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Website Source

  • Dr Yorck Olaf Schumacher

    Aspetar, Sport City Street, Aspire Zone

    Sports physician, useful for sporty teenagers.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, DE

    Website Source

  • Patrick Roux

    Doha

    Physiotherapist.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN

    Source

  • Dr Djamel Bandaas

    Al Ahli Hospital, Doha

    Cardiologist.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, AR

    Website Source

  • Dr Atef Ben Youssef

    Al Ahli Hospital, Doha

    Cardiologist.

    Languages spoken : FR, EN, AR

    Website Source

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Pregnancy and maternity hospitals

In the public system, follow-up starts at the PHCC centre, then you give birth at a Hamad maternity unit near your home. In the private sector, Sidra Medicine is the maternity hospital families choose most. Check early what your insurance covers for pregnancy.

Good to know

  • PHCC is the first point of contact for public care: antenatal visits and scans in the first and second trimesters at the health centres' Well Woman Clinics, then referral to a Hamad maternity unit near home. Source
  • At Sidra, fathers are welcome in the delivery room, epidurals are available 24/7 and all maternity rooms are private; antenatal classes and a maternity tour can be booked online. Source
  • Maternity leave in the private sector: 50 days on full pay after one year of service, then a one-hour nursing break per day for a year. Source
  • After the birth, declare the child at the consulate within 30 days, by appointment, with the hospital documents; where possible, the embassy offers the passport appointment on the same day. Source

Addresses

  • Women's Wellness and Research Center (WWRC)

    Maternity

    Hamad Bin Khalifa Medical City, Doha

    Hamad's large public maternity hospital: antenatal care, delivery, newborn care and childbirth classes.

    Website Source

  • Sidra Medicine, maternité

    Maternity

    Al Luqta Street (Street 2309), Zone 51, Education City

    Private hospital dedicated to women and children: high-risk pregnancies, neonatology, private rooms and obstetric triage.

    Website Source

  • Al Wakra Hospital, maternité

    Maternity

    Al Wakrah

    Hamad public maternity unit for the south of the country, working with WWRC.

    Website Source

  • Al Khor Hospital, maternité

    Maternity

    Al Khor

    Public maternity unit in the north, with antenatal classes and home visits by midwives after delivery.

    Website Source

  • The Cuban Hospital, maternité

    Maternity

    Dukhan

    Public maternity unit in the west of the country, working with WWRC.

    Website Source

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Pharmacies and medicines

Pharmacies are everywhere, in malls and neighbourhoods alike, and many stay open late into the evening. The real point of caution is the medicines you bring from France.

Good to know

  • Some medicines containing opiates, such as Tramadol or morphine derivatives, are banned in Qatar and treated as narcotics: you can be arrested even with a French prescription. Ask your doctor for an alternative before you leave. Source
  • Travel with your medicines in their original packaging, with a prescription written in English showing each drug's international non-proprietary name (INN), and bring only what you need. Source
  • With a health card, prescriptions from PHCC centres and Hamad hospitals are filled at subsidised rates in public pharmacies; PHCC also offers home delivery of medicines. Source
  • Paracetamol and ibuprofen are sold under their generic names or international brands (Panadol, Adol, Brufen); show the French box to the pharmacist to find the equivalent.
  • For long-term treatment, quickly get a prescription from a local doctor, at PHCC or a private clinic, rather than relying on the French one.

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Vaccines: the Qatari schedule and French boosters

Qatar follows a national immunisation programme aligned with WHO guidance, free at PHCC centres for registered children. It resembles the French schedule, with a few differences in ages and vaccines.

Good to know

  • The national programme includes BCG at birth, the first MMR at 12 months and a diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough booster between 13 and 18; ask your PHCC family doctor or call 107. Source
  • A notable difference: BCG, no longer routine in France, is given at birth in Qatar. For the rest, compare the French record with the Qatari schedule at the first PHCC appointment: the doctor will flag any catch-up doses. Source
  • Before leaving, bring the whole family up to date with the French schedule, especially diphtheria, tetanus, polio, whooping cough and measles; depending on the length of stay, hepatitis A, typhoid and hepatitis B may be recommended. Source
  • Seasonal flu vaccination is recommended for everyone from 6 months; it is free at all PHCC centres, with priority for children under 5 and pregnant women. Source
  • The vaccination record is required for the first health card of a child born in Qatar, and schools ask for it at enrolment: keep an English translation of the French record. Source
  • PHCC also runs school health: some vaccinations for secondary pupils may be offered at school, so let them know if your child has already had them in France. Source

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These landmarks do not replace the advice of a health professional. In an emergency, call the local emergency number shown above.

A place has closed, something has changed? Tell us: the mums of Doha will thank you.

Sources for this page

The public pages these landmarks come from. The official website always prevails.

  1. 1 Ambassade de France au Qatar, liste de notoriété médicale
  2. 2 Ambassade de France au Qatar, en cas d'urgence
  3. 3 Hamad Medical Corporation, urgences
  4. 4 Sidra Medicine, urgences pédiatriques
  5. 5 PHCC, carte santé
  6. 6 PHCC, vaccination
  7. 7 Conseils aux voyageurs, Qatar : santé
  8. 8 Gulf Times, assurance santé obligatoire (ministère de la Santé publique)

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