Ministry likely to more than double expat maternity fees

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KUWAIT CITY, June 27: Minister of Health Sheikh Bassel Al-Sabah said the ministry is studying the possibility of increasing maternity fees for expatriates to more than 100 percent, reports Al-Rai daily.

The health sources said women who give birth in government hospitals pay KD 50, which in fact does not cover the cost of delivery, especially in light of the high cost of medical services in general.

The sources pointed out that there is a huge difference in delivery charges between the public and private hospital and said even after the 100 hike in the fees they will still remain lower than the private sector. The fees are being reviewed to improve the quality of service provided the Health Ministry places the health of the patient at the top of its priorities.

Meanwhile, Al-Seyassah daily quoting the Health Minister in response to a parliamentary query during Wednesday’s session said three new wards will be opened in the next few weeks.

As for what was published in the newspapers about ‘stealing’ medicines and smuggling them out of the country, the minister explained this is an ‘old story’ dated back to three years ago which at that time was also denied by the ministry.

He pointed out that the ministry has gone a long way in terms of electronic prescription that will be included in the new plan.

One the other hand, MP Safa’a Al-Hashem in response to the Health Minister Sheikh Dr Bassel Al-Sabah accused expatriates of being the cause of overcrowding at maternity hospitals in the country and called for allocating good hospitals around Kuwait City, especially the Amiri, Sabah and Jaber hospitals for Kuwaitis and sending expatriates to hospitals in Farwaniya and Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh.

She claimed that some of them come from outside Kuwait on visit visas especially for delivery here to enjoy good and almost free services at public hospitals. She added that an expatriate woman comes just 10 days before delivery. She said that these women are then admitted at public hospitals, given excellent services including free baby milk and then leave the country with their babies after paying just KD 3.

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