Kuwait mulls cut in medications for expats

Kuwait’s Ministry of Health is working on presenting a plan to the Cabinet of Ministers to reduce the amount of medicines dispensed in hospitals and health care centres to expats, local media reported.

This comes as the Ministry of Health is preparing to submit a plan aimed at reducing spending for the upcoming fiscal year, as well as cutting spending in the current budget by 10 per cent.

A government source told a daily the Ministry of Health is also studying the possibility of reducing the number of scholarships awarded for health major students. In addition, they are considering reducing the number of patients sent abroad for treatment, limiting it only to critical cases.

Health care subsidies

Health care is heavily subsidised in Kuwait, as citizens and residents have access to governmental hospitals at extremely reduced prices.

Amid worldwide drop in oil prices and increase in government spending due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the government is working on cutting spending as Kuwait is witnessing a liquidity crunch.