‘Days and times should not conflict with duties of his govt job’

KUWAIT CITY, June 11: The Minister of Health, Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadi, has issued a list of requirements which allow Kuwaiti medical specialist practitioners working in the government medical sector to work in their private clinics or private health facility outside official working hours, reports Al-Rai daily. According to the Ministry of Health the Kuwaiti doctor should have the title of a specialist or above, and should not occupy any supervisory position or work as head of any department and not combine his government job with work outside official working hours.

The decision allows the authorized physician to work outside the official working hours on days and times that do not conflict with the duties of his government job and the duties he is assigned to. It also allows him to work in hospitals, medical centers, private clinics, laboratories or any other health facility in the private medical sector. Combine The decision also allows the Kuwaiti doctor to combine work in his private clinic and one of the other private health facilities, or combine work outside official working hours in more than one private health facility.

Meanwhile, the Al-Jarida daily said the Minister of Health, Dr. Ahmed Al- Awadi has issued a decision to approve the amended general requirements for licenses public and private sector medical professionals. The Ministerial Resolution No. 220 of 2023 states that the applications for issuing, renewing, transferring and canceling a license to practice the profession in the government and private sectors, must be accompanied by the required documents, and should be submitted to the Health Licensing Department, and added the license renewal application must be submitted at least sixty days before the expiry of its period, failure to do so the applicant will have to pay twice the original fee stipulated in the ministerial decision regulating licensing fees for each application submitted thereafter.

The decision states that it is not permissible to grant or renew a license to practice medicine, dentistry, and related professions for workers in the private sector for those over 65 years of age, except after conducting medical examinations determined by the ministry to verify that all the required medical fitness conditions are met.

He pointed out that the duration of licenses to practice the profession in the government sector, which are granted to practitioners of the medical profession and allied professions, is valid until the end of his services in the ministry, pointing out that it is permissible to convert the license issued to doctors to practice medicine in the government sector after the end of their services to the private sector, provided that the prescribed fee is collected for this, and the eligibility body in which the work will be practiced is determined, with the exception of doctors whose services are terminated due to dismissal from service or medical disability. The decision stated that a visiting doctor may not be authorized to practice the profession in more than one private health facility in a single visit.