Kuwait’s Ministry of Health announced - Opens in new tab that beginning 18 December 2022, non-Kuwaiti residents are required to pay a fee of KD 5 (US$16) when purchasing medicines from pharmacies at primary health clinics and emergency rooms, and KD 10 (US$32) at outpatient clinics. The Arab Times reports that the decision has already resulted in a sharp decline - Opens in new tab in the number of migrants seeking treatment in clinics.
The new fees are in addition to the medical fees and health insurance fees that non-nationals in Kuwait already pay. In a press statement, the Ministry of Health stated - Opens in new tab that the decision aims to stop “the squandering of medical supplies, and [elevate] healthcare services.”
According to local media - Opens in new tab, the Ministry also barred dispensing a number of “key medicines to expats,” without specifying which. The move comes in the wake of the medicine supply shortages - Opens in new tab the country is currently facing.
The Ministry of Health has previously implemented exclusionary policies to the detriment of public health. For example, during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ministry prioritised - Opens in new tab Kuwaiti citizens for the Covid-19 vaccines. It’s not uncommon for migrants to be singled out and targeted in Kuwait as a solution to social crises. Kuwait’s government has also imposed more restrictions on issuing driving licences to foreigners as a solution to traffic congestion in the country.
MRRORS.org urges Kuwait to reverse this decision and abide by Article 29 - Opens in new tab of its constitution, which guarantees equality and non-discrimination.
Updated December 28, 2022
