Kuwait’s Ministry of Health shuts down 12 private medical facilities
549 violations recorded against facilities during past 8 months, minister says
Dubai: Kuwait’s Ministry of Health (MOH) has ordered the closure of 12 private medical facilities during the first eight months of the year, according to Dr. Ahmed Al Awadhi, Minister of Health.
During the period from January 1 to September 1, a total of 549 violations were recorded against various clinics and medical centres. These violations led to the closure of 12 private medical facilities as a punitive measure.
In a statement, Dr. Al Awadhi said that the country’s 20 hospitals, along with 82 pharmacies, 163 dental clinics, and 89 clinics were operating beyond regular working hours. Additionally, 522 full-time clinics are affiliated with the private medical sector. Dr. Al Awadhi emphasised the significant role played by the private sector in Kuwait’s healthcare landscape, employing a substantial workforce. The sector employs 3,680 doctors, 1,592 dentists, and 13,524 support medical professionals.
The minister shed light on the monitoring mechanism employed by the MOH, which involves technical, engineering and administrative committees. These committees conduct regular inspections and address violations based on complaints, requests from legal authorities, or joint committee initiatives in collaboration with other government agencies.
The violations are submitted to the Health Licensing Department for verification of issued licenses before being forwarded to the Ministry for further action by competent legal authorities and the medical liability agency.
In terms of financial control, Dr. Al Awadhi highlighted the approval of price lists by the Health Licensing Department to ensure compliance with officially approved prices.
Complaints regarding conflicting prices are reported to the Ministry, and the Medical Liability Authority investigates these matters.
Responding to a parliamentary question from MP Majid Al Mutairi, Dr. Al Awadhi assured that jamming devices do not pose a threat to public health as long as they adhere to internationally recommended standards set by the International Committee for Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) and the World Health Organisation.