KUWAIT, April 15, (Agencies): Minister of Health Dr Hilal Al-Sayer said here Thursday his ministry would contract foreign medical teams soon to run several local clinics and medical centers in the country.
Speaking to reporters while opening a new clinic for premature babies, he said a Canadian medical team had been contracted to manage the Chest Diseases Hospital a couple of days ago.
Under the five-year renewable contract, the Canadian medical team would run the hospital, train Kuwaiti doctors and decide patients who deserve to be sent abroad for medical treatment, the minister added.
Another contract will be also signed with another Canadian medical team to manage a local clinic next month, Al-Sayer pointed out.
The new clinic for premature babies has been equipped with 152 incubators, other sophisticated medical equipment and efficient and highly qualified medical and technical cadres, the minister said.
He reiterated his ministry’s keenness on devising effective programs, policies and protocols for preventing genetic diseases and cutting child mortality by means of shoring up medical infrastructure, using the help of foreign doctors and training national staff.
Meanwhile, a study conducted recently by a team of researchers headed by Assistant Undersecretary for Public Health Affairs at the Ministry of Health Dr Yousef Al-Nesif revealed that around 81 percent of Kuwaitis have poor eating habits, reports Al-Qabas daily.
Results of the study showed the number of smokers in Kuwait has continued to increase, while 12 percent of those whose ages range from 20 to 64 years have high blood sugar levels.
The study also discovered that 38 percent of Kuwaitis have high cholesterol levels, more than 75 percent are obese, over 20 percent have high blood pressure and the daily smoking rate is over 20 percent.
The study pointed out the diet of most Kuwaitis is not healthy and they do not adhere to the nutritional guidelines issued by the World Health Organization (WHO).
In the meantime, the joint committee comprising of officials from the ministries of Health, Justice and Interior will put forward a solution regarding the granting of birth certificates to Bedouns in the next couple of days, reports Al-Dar daily.
Sources say the committee held a series of meetings over the last few days to find a proper solution for this problem.