DOHA, 24 June 2004 — Qatar is building a world-class teaching hospital with the help of New York’s Cornell University, a spokesman for the Qatar Foundation that is behind the project said yesterday.
The $900 million Specialty Teaching Hospital, expected to open in four years, will specialize in women and children, but will offer a full range of medical services, Robert Baxter said.
“Qatar is aiming to become one of the most developed societies in the world, and a world-class international teaching facility is a commitment to that vision,” he said.
The project is being financed by a $8 billion endowment from the Qatar Foundation, which was established by the emir of Qatar and is run by his wife, Sheika Mozza bint Nasser Al-Misnid.
“As far as we know this is the largest cash endowment of any hospital and research center in the world,” Baxter said. He said interest from the endowment will pay for the project.
The 350-bed teaching hospital is also part of Qatar’s vision to emerge as a center of world-class education in the region.
Cornell University, based in Ithaca, New York, opened a medical college in Qatar in 2002.
Qatar’s Education City, also funded by the foundation, offers a range of programs in collaboration with US universities like Carnegie Mellon, Virginia Commonwealth and Texas A&M.
The wealth of Qatar, which has a native population of less than 500,000, is powered by oil and massive gas reserves that are among the largest in the world.
