MoH imposes new procedures at medical testing centers

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KUWAIT CITY, May 15: Minister of Health Dr. Khaled Al-Saeed visited the Labor Examination Center in Shuwaikh on Sunday to see the progress of work and listen to the most important observations in order to improve the efficiency and quality of the service provided. The ministry said in a press statement that the minister during his visit was accompanied by Undersecretary Dr. Mustafa Reda and Director of the Public Health Department, Dr. Muhammad Al- Saeedan, where he met with employees and auditors and inspected the course of work at the center. The ministry indicated the entry into force of the new regulatory procedures regarding work periods and times and the employment included in them, starting from Monday, at the employment examination centers, including Shuwaikh, Sabhan, Jahra and Ali Sabah Al-Salem suburb.

It explained that it was decided to allocate the morning period from 7:30 am to 1 pm to receive domestic workers in the presence of the Kuwaiti sponsor, while the centers receive during the evening period from 1 pm to 8 pm the rest of the expatriate workers, according to the pre-booking dates in the morning and evening periods. The ministry called on the workers to come to the examination centers during the dates specified for them according to prior reservation, in order to prevent overcrowding and to achieve smoothness in providing the service.

The Ministry of Health’s decision to prevent administrative staff who are working on commission-basis on the shift system in a number of public hospitals has caused a severe shortage in the provision of health services to patients and visitors, reports Aljarida daily quoting informed health sources. They explained that there was a shortage of administrative staff working in the night shift from 7:30pm to 7:30am last week due to the referral of employees working on commission basis to work in the morning and noon shifts. This decision has caused great confusion in the services provided to patients and visitors during the night shift.

Also, problems in covering the service within hospitals are occurring, which has affected the workflow, given the small number of workers in the evening shift. Most of the hospital administrations complained about the implementation of this decision, due to the small number of employees in the evening shift, as the employees working on commission basis fill the void in that period. The sources indicated that the decision was issued without consulting the opinions of hospital administrations. In another development, Director of the Central Department of Primary Healthcare Dr. Dina Al-Dhubaib announced the formation of integrated multidisciplinary home visit teams, consisting of a family doctor, a dentist, a physical therapist, a pharmacist, a nurse, a laboratory technician, and a dietitian. She explained that this service can be obtained either by applying through the website specified for that purpose, or by requesting the service through the health center according to the area of residence.

The service request can be submitted via the website from 8:00 am to 7:00 pm from Sunday to Wednesday, and from 8:00am to 1:00pm on Thursday, with the medical reports of the references attached. She highlighted the completion of the preparations for providing this service, which are limited to periodic visits and not for emergency cases. Dr. Al-Dhubaib affirmed the ministry’s keenness to provide the service to this segment according to the best quality standards required. Furthermore, Head of the Dermatology Department at the Amiri Hospital Dr. Jassim Al-Shayji declared that the annual conference of the department will be launched next Monday.(KUNA)

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