Qatar announces its NHS will be axed next week

The Gulf state's cabinet decided to freeze its country wide healthcare scheme and instead rely on private insurance companies

Health insurance services provided by the National Health Insurance Company (Seha) will be suspended as of 31 December 2015 (Getty)

Qatar is to indefinitely suspend its national health insurance service on December 31, the country has announced,

The cabinet decided to freeze National Health Insurance Company (Seha) and instead rely on private insurance companies “with experience in the field to provide health insurance services,” QNA reported.

Under Seha, the government would cover costs for treatment from hospitals, health centres, opticians, clinics and other service providers across the country.

The response to the news has been mixed. Some Qataris supported the suspension, saying private hospitals were abusing the programme, according to Doha News.

Others have criticised the move, asking how their bills would be paid and whether outsourcing Seha to private insurance companies would be more effective than stopping the scheme altogether.

The announcement comes only two months after Qatar’s Minister of Public Health said the scheme would be extended to all expats next year.

The Supreme Council of Health said more information about the decision will be released in due course.