To make health care transactions more transparent and simpler, Qatar is making the use of bankcards for the payment of health care bills mandatory at its hospitals and clinics.
The policy takes effect July 1, at which time health care providers no longer may accept cash from patients, a spokesperson for the country’s Primary Health Care Department told PaymentsSource.
The agency adopted the policy to simplify both the initiation of payments and accounting and to upgrade the overall health care process, according to the spokesperson.
Women and low-income expatriates who do not have a bank account or a bankcard have complained about the government’s move, according to local media reports. Qatar has a large migrant population from South and Southeast Asia, typically working in low-income jobs. For many, opening a bank account would be more expensive than health care in Qatar, where medical costs are among the lowest in the world.
Individuals who do not have bankcards still may access health care service by using reloadable prepaid cards from Qatar National Bank Ltd. available at all major health centers, according to the spokesperson.
Officials from Qatar National were not immediately available to comment.
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