Health mandates guarantor in case expat can’t pay

KUWAIT CITY, Dec 11: The Health Ministry issued a circular on the collection of medical fees from expatriates, considering a large number of expatriates cannot afford to pay for their stay in hospitals and for surgeries, reports Al-Anba daily.

The circular obligates an expatriate patient to have a guarantor who will sign a commitment to pay for the cost of medical services during his stay at the hospital in case he cannot afford to pay.

The commitment includes all information about the patient and the guarantor, and it should be signed before the patient is admitted to the hospital. If the guarantor does not pay, the ministry will take legal action to ensure the fees are collected.

Meanwhile, the ministry issued another circular concerning citizens and expatriates. The circular obligates the guardian or parent of a child who needs dental care to sign a form stating approval of the treatment plan such as the use of local or general anesthesia for tooth extraction according to the condition of the patient, in addition to the type of filling needed and other services like X-ray.

The form includes all information about the child (patient) and the guardian or parents such as the name, civil ID number, and relationship between the patient and the guardian.