The quality of health care in Kuwait is generally high and equal to that in western countries and India.
Comprehensive health care at primary, secondary and teritiary levels are available under the Ministry of Public Health.
Public Clinics
Primary health care is provided by a network of clinics and polyclinics, which are usually found close to residential areas. These clinics deal with preliminary examinations and routine matters and, where necessary, patients are referred to hospital specialists.
Clinics Timing & Charges
As From July 2001 the Ministry clinics will be open from 7:00 am to2:00 pm and from 4:00 pm to 11 pm and will be closed in the afternoons between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm.
Expatriates, bedouns (stateless persons), and children of Kuwaiti women married to non-Kuwaitis have to pay KD 1 and KD 2 for clinics and hospitals if they have the health insurance. Without health insurance they will have to pay KD 5 and KD 10.
Insurance coverage exempts expatriates from paying daily inpatient charges when they receive medical treatment in hospitals, in addition to exemption from charges of medical operations, pharmaceuticals, and laboratory analysis and X-ray. They also receive 50% subsidy on specialised tests and analysis such as CT-Scan, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Sonar and hormonal analysis.
Surgeries are held in the mornings (8am to 1pm) and evenings (4pm to 7pm). Home visits are not available under the public health system.
Public Hospitals
Kuwait is divided into five Health Regions. Each region has a general hospital, the Amiri Hospital in Kuwait City, Jahra Hospital in Jahra, Farwaniyah Hospital in Farwaniyah, Mubarak Al-Kabir Hospital in Jabriya, and Adan Hospital in Reqqa (about 5km from Fahaheel). Each general hospital provides a full outpatients service and 24-hour emergency service.
The country also has a comprehensive range of specialist hospitals, covering chest and heart diseases, neurosurgery, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, burns, cancers, radiology, nephrology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology, physiotherapy, and psychiatry. Most of these are concentrated in an area stretching along or near to Gamal Abdul Nasser Street in west Shuwaikh (going towards Sulaibikhat).
Under its 4-year plan to 2003, the MPH will be establishing new health centres in Qurain and Sabahiya, and expanding the psychiatric hospital. New specialist centres will be set up with funds donated by the private sector, including the Khaled Al-Nafisi Renal Dialysis Centre and a Paediatric Centre (sponsored by NBK), both in Sabah Hospital, as well as new Ear, Nose and Throat Centre (sponsored by Zain).
Hospital Visiting Hours
Hospital visiting hours vary and are normally restricted to the afternoon. The number of visitors to a patient allowed during visiting hours is not usually limited, though sometimes when things get extremely crowded only two visitors at a time are allowed in together.
HEALTH INSURANCE SCHEME
From 10th April, 2000 health insurance was made mandatory for expatriates. No residence is renewed unless the premium for health insurance is paid and the renewal period is also linked to the period of health insurance coverage (details covered in Chapter - 3). Expatriates holding health insurance from local private insurance companies will be allowed to renew their residence for the period of validity of the insurance. However, for holders of private insurance, the Ministry will charge KD 4 for each visit to health clinic besides the one dinar charge. They will also have to pay for medicine, laboratory tests and radiology scans. Visit to the outpatient clinic will cost KD 6, stay at public hospital KD 10 per day, KD 80 per day at an intensive care unit and KD 5 per day for stay at a psychiatric hospital. Expatriates covered by private insurance companies will also have to pay KD 10 per visit to a birth registration clinic. The charge for normal delivery is KD 200 inclusive of a three day stay at a hospital. Any overstay will cost KD.10 per day.
Central .......... 4722000
Ambulance
Central Adan: 3940600/3941455
Amiri Hospital: 2422366
Da’iya: 2510854
Fahaheel: 3919098
Farwaniya: 4883000
Farwaniya: 4725149
Jahra: 4570583
Mubarak Al Kabir: 5311437
Sabah: 4815000
Salmiya: 5739011
Shuaiba: 3261927
Public Hospitals
Adan: 3940600
Allergy: 4849252
Amiri: 2450005
Amiri Casualty: 2450005
Blood Bank: 5336538
Burns Centre: 4840300
Cancer Control Centre: 4849100
Chest Diseases: 4838990/4849400
Drug Control: 4837245
Farwaniya: 4883000/4888000
Ibn Sina: 4840300
Infectious Diseases: 4870351
Islamic Medicine Centre: 4849000
Jahra: 4575300
Kidney Centre: 4840027
Maternity: 4848067
Military: 4729911
Mubarak Al Kabir: 5312700/ 9
Opthalmology: 4840300
Psychiatric Centre: 4843900
Quarantine: 4873272
Razi: 4846000
Sabah: 4812000/5000
Sulabikhat Orthopedic: 4874240
Transplant Centre: 4840300
DENTAL CLINICS
Some of the primary care polyclinics include dental units. There are also six public dental clinics in the country. The main one is behind the Amiri Hospital in Sharq. Under the MPH's 4-year plan to 2003, new dental clinics are to be established at Jahra and Farwaniya.
Though Kuwaitis are entitled to a full range of services, the range of dental procedures available to expatriates is restricted to cleaning, scaling, and root canal and tooth extraction. To avail of special dental services, such as having a permanent bridge or crown installed, expatriates must attend a private dental clinic at their own expense.