Prescription for change: Dr Hanan Al Kuwari

Unlike many of the gulf’s corporate suites, Dr Hanan Al Kuwari’s office isn’t on the top floor of a tower with impressive views over the sea, nor is it filled with wall-to-wall mahogany panelling or expensive artwork. Instead, it is hidden on the ground floor in the corner of a small building tacked onto the side of the Women’s Hospital in Doha. One wall is almost entirely covered with a bookcase packed to bursting with research manuals and folders, while two shelves next to the window struggle to contain a series of awards and trophies.

The office speaks volumes about Al Kuwari, who was appointed managing director of the non-profit Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) in 2007, and who runs one of Qatar’s largest and most complex organisations. Relaxed, confident and personable, it’s a little surprising that she hasn’t done an interview before, but then again, HMC’s performance has done most of the talking in the past.

“I’m an optimist, I always believe we can achieve whatever we put our minds to,” Al Kuwari says simply, when asked whether she ever envisaged reaching her current position when she started out in the business.

Perhaps best described as the Qatar’s version of the UK’s National Health Service, HMC is the main public healthcare provider, providing free services at the point of need for the entire population, whether expatriate or local.

Original article by Ed Attwood

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Prescription for change: Dr Hanan Al Kuwari