Blue-collar expatriates living in Umm Salal and neighbouring areas have revived calls for setting up a workers’ clinic in the municipal town.
These places, which lie to the north of Doha, have witnessed a considerable growth in population in the last few years as several workers’ housing units have come up there in view of the large-scale infrastructure development work being undertaken in the vicinity.
Some 35 contracting firms have their labour camps in the Umm Salal area, it is believed, and their numbers are expected to increase further as more companies are reportedly considering plans to set up workers’ housing facilities there. 
The growth in population has led to a high demand for easily accessible healthcare facilities among the workers.
Reiterating the need for better medical facilities in the area, some workers in Umm Salal said they have to travel to the Workers’ Clinic in Mesaimeer to meet their medical requirements, including urgent ones. 
“Owing to the absence of direct bus connectivity between Umm Salal and Mesaimeer, it takes us a lot of time to reach the clinic,” said an expatriate who lives in a workers’ accommodation unit in Umm Salal.
Another option is to go to Al Khor, the workers point out. “This place (Umm Salal) urgently requires a clinic dedicated to workers. We have raised the issue earlier, too, and would like to urge the competent authorities to provide us with convenient medical facilities here,” said another worker. 
Referring to the opening of a health and wellness centre in Umm Salal last week, workers said the place also needs a clinic for workers as a sizeable portion of the area’s population is made up of people like them.
Easy availability of land, relatively lower rents and good roads are cited by residents as some of the reasons why Umm Salal and its neighbourhood are fast emerging as a favoured destination for companies looking to provide workers’ accommodation. 
Representatives of some companies recently sought the authorities’ intervention to provide a mobile medical service unit in the area until a permanent workers’ clinic starts operating there, it is learnt.
Meanwhile, residents also point out that bus services between Doha and Umm Salal have become better in the last 6-8 months, but there is still some scope for improvement.