Preparing for your admission

What Should I Bring to the Hospital? What Not to Bring?

Documents
Please bring the following documents with you on the day of your admission. If any document is missing, this may delay your admission to the hospital.

Valid Health Card;
Admission Card;
Passport / ID copies;


- Female: passport copy plus proof from sponsor
(example: husband’s passport or employer letter or sponsor letter)

- Female unmarried / minor patients: copy of your guardian or sponsor’s passport

- Male: copy of passport or ID

A copy of a marriage certificate or other proof of marriage document with exemption for single patients (for admission to Women’s Hospital Only) and,

Blood donation forms stamped by blood bank only if scheduled for an elective surgery admission.

Personal Items

We suggest you bring the following personal items on the day of your admission:

2 sets of comfortable clothing, slippers or soft shoes;
Toiletry items such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, shampoo, deodorant, hairbrush, towel, and tissue;
Books, magazines;
Only a small amount of money; and,
(Birth admissions at Women’s Hospital only): A baby’s cloth, 2 packet disposable napkins, and receiving blanket for pregnant mothers.

Your Medication

Please bring all medications you are currently taking in the original containers and show them to your Nurse when you arrive on the unit. We need your medications so that we can check your medication history. If any medication is not required by your Physician, your relative can take these medications home. The hospital staff will manage all your medications while you are in the hospital. You should not take any medications not recommended by your Physician and you should not share any of your medications with others. This caution includes any medication(s) brought from home or outside pharmacies.

What Not to Bring

Because we want you to have you a safe stay, please do not bring the following items:

Credit cards or large amounts of money;
Valuables, jewelry; and/or,
Carpet and bed linens.

Food brought in from home is highly discouraged and should only be brought in under the direction of your Physician.

Fasting Requirements For Surgery

If you are scheduled for surgery, you may eat light foods and drink liquids up until midnight of the day before your surgery. After midnight, nothing is to be taken by mouth. These instructions may vary based on the procedure or surgery that your Physician has recommended, so please follow all instructions provided by your Physician.

Pre-Admission Testing

Please make sure that all tests recommended by your Physician are to be completed prior to your admission. This includes any laboratory tests, chest x-rays and ECG or other tests ordered by your Physician. Your admission depends on completion of these tests prior to being admitted to the hospital.
 

Patient Directives

Advance Directives

Advance healthcare directives are documents such as a Living Will or Appointment of Surrogate Guardian or Healthcare Advance Directive. These documents are designed to communicate your wishes for medical care when you are unable to decide for yourself or communicate your decisions. Advance healthcare directives provide authorization for those who wish to accept and continue medical treatment, as well as for those who wish to refuse or withdraw treatment.

You will be given a separate booklet that describes more information about Advance Directives.

Consent to Treatment

During the admission process, you will be asked to give your general consent to HMC for your evaluation and treatment. This consent will allow your Physician to examine and perform tests in order to understand your medical condition.

Should you need a procedure or surgery, receive anesthesia, chemotherapy or receive a blood transfusion, you will be required to give additional consent. Your Physician(s) will obtain these consents as needed and explain and discuss the procedure or surgery recommended, its risks and benefits along with any alternative treatments. It is important that you understand your procedure or surgery prior to signing the consent. In an emergency situation, when you are unable to give consent, your Physician(s) will act in your best interest and will proceed with the procedure/treatment.
 

The Admission Process

Arrival Time

Day Care Surgery

If you are scheduled for Day Care surgery, we recommend you arrive in the Admissions Office/ Day Care Unit as advised by the clinic Nurse between 6:00 and 7:00 AM. Please make arrangements for someone to take you home after the surgery.

Elective Admissions

Patients who will be admitted to the unit, should report to the Admissions Office on the first floor between 7:00 AM- 9:30 AM. After completing the admission process, the Admissions staff will escort you to your room. Depending on bed availability, you may have to wait sometime for a bed to become available. Try to arrange for someone to come with you.

Mobility Assistance

If you are in need of a wheelchair transport from your car into the hospital, please send a family member to the Admissions Office on the first floor to request a wheelchair.

Identity Bracelet

In the interest of your safety, you will be asked to wear an identity bracelet during your hospital stay. Please check that your personal details on the bracelet are correct. You should not remove this bracelet until you are discharged from the hospital.

Surgery or Admission Cancellation

If, due to any reason your surgery/procedure or admission has to be postponed, you will be informed of the reason. Another appointment will be arranged for you to see your Physician to discuss another date for the surgery/procedure.

It is very important to let the hospital knows as soon as possible if you are unable or unfit to come to the hospital on the day you are scheduled for your admission. Please communicate by telephone with the Admissions Office immediately if you are unable to be admitted as scheduled.

Requesting A Room

All the hospitals offer unit accommodations (2 or 4 beds per room) for patients. Private rooms and suites, available only at Women’s Hospital, Hamad General Hospital and Al Amal may be requested based on availability on the date of your admission, at an additional charge per day. If a private room or suite is requested, but is, not available on the day of your admission, you will be placed on a waiting list and moved as soon as the private room or suite is available.

Payment for Services

If payment is required for your hospital stay, payment is collected at the time of admission. Any additional charges incurred during your stay will be collected at discharge. To determine an estimate of your charges, please feel free to contact our financial counselors in the Cashier Office located on the first floor of each hospital in advance of your admission.

Both cash and credit card is acceptable in the Cashier’s Office. Automated banking machines are available on the first floor of each hospital near the main entrance. A branch of Qatar National Bank is also located on the first floor of Hamad General Hospital behind the Security desk.
 

Your Stay in the Hospital

Your Accommodations

Unit Rooms

All unit rooms are equipped with a bathroom and electrical beds that raise and lower automatically. You will also find the following in your unit room:

Television with remote control;
Telephone;
Bedside cabinet;
Food table;
Visitor’s chairs and couch; and a,
Shared bathroom.

A refrigerator is available in the pantry for patient use.

Private Rooms

Private Rooms are equipped with all the amenities of the unit rooms in addition to:

Specialized meal plans;
Cable television;
Private bathroom;
Custom decoration, and a,
Refrigerator.

Suites

Suites include a patient bedroom and an attendant bedroom divided with a door. Both bedrooms are equipped with all the amenities of the unit and private rooms.

Meal Service

Patients in the hospital are served with five meals.

Breakfast 7:00 AM
Snack 9:00 AM
Lunch 11:00 AM
Snack 3:00 PM
Dinner 6:00 PM

Fasting meals for Muslim patients during the Holy Month of Ramadan are served at the following times.

Sohour before 4:00 AM
Fotour before 5:00 PM

If your Physician has prescribed a special diet for you, a Dietitian will visit you and talk to you about the food you should eat while in the hospital and when you go home. If for some reason you are on a special diet or, you may have cultural/religious needs, please inform your Nurse or Physician so that special arrangements can be made with the Catering Department. Food brought in from home is highly discouraged and should only be brought in under the direction of your Physician.


Phone Calls

Each patient bed has its own telephone extension to make and receive local calls. Your relatives may contact you directly on your phone located in your room. For your friends and relatives to call your room, they should dial:

“4394” for Hamad General Hospital then, the room number
“4396” for Women’s hospital then, the room number
“4393” for Rumailah hospital then, the room number
“4397” for Al Amal hospital then, the room number

To make a local call from your room, dial “9” plus the desired number. There is no charge for local phone calls. Long distance calls and international calls cannot be billed to your room. A phone credit card may be used to make an international call from your room.

Safety

Electrical Appliances
In accordance with hospital electrical and fire safety standards the use of your own electrical appliances is forbidden within the hospital. If you wish to bring any electrical appliances such as razors, hairdryers or radio, they will need to be inspected by the hospital safety committee prior to use. Only battery powered appliances are allowed in the patient’s room.

Nurse Call Button
A pressured Nurse call bell is provided at your bedside. There is also a pull call cord hanging near the lavatory to notify your Nurse if you need help or assistance while in the bathroom.

Fire Safety
Once you have checked into your room, locate the nearest fire route to your room. The hospital conducts fire drills regularly. If you hear the fire alarm, please stay in your room, respond calmly and await instructions from staff. The hospital staff is trained in fire protection. In case of fire, please follow the instruction given by staff; remain calm. If you are requested to evacuate the area, use the fire exit door nearest to your room and proceed to the assembly point as directed. If you are unable to move, staff will provide for your transportation.

Do not use the lift. Use the staircase nearest to your room. Because of extreme fire risk, “Bakhoor” (incense burners) and candles are not permitted in the hospital. Remember that you are in an oxygen-enriched environment and an explosion could occur from any flame.

Attendant Rules
Based on your Physician’s recommendation, one attendant may be allowed to assist you in your room during your hospital stay. This attendant will be allowed to stay overnight in your room. Attendants are not permitted in the Critical Care Units.

Identification of Special Needs
Your Physician will identify and discuss any special equipment needs that you may require upon discharge. This planning will allow us to assure a smooth transition to your home with everything that you need.

Discharge Against Medical Advice or Refusal of Treatment/ Procedure or Surgery
Patients have the right to make decisions about their own health care. This includes the right to accept or refuse medical treatment. If you refuse any recommended treatment or you decide to leave the hospital against medical advice, it is your right to do so. In the event that this occurs, you will be advised as to the consequences of your decision, and asked to sign a release, which will be placed in your medical record. This release will also explain the consequences of your decision.
 

Going Home

Discharge Time

Your Physician will determine when you are ready to leave the hospital. At that time, your Nurse will talk to you about any special
instructions that have been recommended by your Physician. If you have any concerns about your discharge, please discuss your concerns with your Nurse.

Discharge time is before 11:00 AM. It is important that you depart at this time so that your room can be prepared for the next patient. We suggest you to make arrangements for someone to assist you in leaving the hospital and returning home.

Before You Are Discharged

Before being discharged, you will be advised to do the following:

Payment for Services
Payment is required upon discharge for any chargeable services incurred during your stay. You may provide payment in cash or credit card at the Cashier on the morning of your discharge.

Birth Registration (For Women’s Hospital Only)
All mothers must register their baby’s birth at the Admitting office located on the first floor of Women’s Hospital prior to discharge.

Discharge Plan

Arrangement of Special Needs
Patients who require medical equipment are eligible for loaner medical equipment based on availability. There is a nominal charge for some of the loaner equipment. For more details about this program, ask your Nurse.

If You Are Given A Prescription
At discharge, your Nurse will provide you with your prescriptions for any medications that your Physician has recommended. For your convenience, each Hospital has an outpatient Pharmacy located on the first floor. During the week, you may collect your medication from the outpatient Pharmacy in each hospital. They are open from 7:00 AM-3:00 PM Sunday-Thursday.

For the weekend (Friday and Saturday), and after 3:00 PM
weekdays, (medication can be collected from:

Hamad General Hospital: Outpatient Department Pharmacy from 10:00 AM-3:00 PM , Emergency Department Pharmacy 24 hours 7 days a week

Women’s Hospital: Main Pharmacy located in the central area of the 3rd floor from 7:00 AM-11:00 PM

Discharge Instructions
Your Physician in conjunction with other caregivers will provide you with written discharge instructions so you will have a smooth transition to home.

Follow-up Appointment
The unit Nurse will arrange for your follow-up appointment in the Outpatient Department if necessary. The Nurse will record your appointment on an Appointment Card for you to take upon discharge.

Mobility Assistance and Porter Service

Upon discharge, your Nurse will arrange for a wheelchair to transport you from your room to the car.

For transportation of your personal belongings to the car, call security to arrange for their transport. There is a minimal fee for this service.