The Emergency Department at Hamad General Hospital (HGH) yesterday received 680 cases from 6am until 6pm. 
Six of these cases pertained to serious accidents - four road mishaps and two cases of falling from a height, according to Dr Zainab Abdulmohsin, emergency consultant at HGH.
The official said there were 35 critical patients, who were given due care at the hospital, while most cases were related to complications arising from chronic diseases and stomach ailments. 
Dr Abdulmohsin said one of the reasons for the large number of cases at the Emergency Department is the public perception that high-quality treatment is provided there and that the place is well-equipped, though some health centres in the country also offer sophisticated emergency services.
Meanwhile, HGH also said in a statement that the number of cases arriving for emergency services were expected to increase by night.
Dr Mohamed al-Amiri, assistant general manager of Hamad Medical Corporation’s Paediatric Emergency Department, said they received 920 cases yesterday within a 24-hour period, marking a 60% drop from usual daily figures during this period. He added that all the cases involved regular health issues except for five critical patients who were referred to the Paediatric Department at HGH for treatment.
Meanwhile, the Al Wakra Hospital Emergency Department received 507 cases within a 24-hour period, with 14 patients being admitted there and the rest being discharged the same day after receiving medical attention. The department did not receive any traffic accident cases during this period. 
The Ambulance Service received 260 calls for help yesterday, including 10 related to traffic accidents. The air ambulance conducted two trips in response to urgent cases.