- Central to the decision is a patient-safety measure stipulating that medical and dental practice licenses will not be renewed after the age of 65 unless the practitioner undergoes a comprehensive medical fitness assessment.
- The decision explicitly prohibits general practitioners from working in specialized departments or performing advanced surgical procedures.
Minister of Health Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadhi has issued a ministerial decision introducing updated clinical and regulatory standards governing the licensing of physicians, dentists and allied medical professionals in both the public and private healthcare sectors.
Central to the decision is a patient-safety measure stipulating that medical and dental practice licenses will not be renewed after the age of 65 unless the practitioner undergoes a comprehensive medical fitness assessment.
The examination aims to ensure continued physical and cognitive capability to practice medicine safely, with mandatory reassessments every two years beyond that age, reports Al-Rai daily.
Under the new regulations, general practitioners are permitted to practice in private clinics, health dispensaries, medical centers and private hospitals, provided their clinical duties are confined to accident and emergency units, outpatient clinics and inpatient wards.
Their scope of practice is limited to core general disciplines — internal medicine, general surgery, pediatrics, and obstetrics and gynecology — and must be conducted under structured professional supervision.
Similarly, general dental practitioners are authorized to work in private dental clinics, dispensaries, dental centers and private hospitals, with their practice restricted to outpatient and emergency dental services. All dental work must be carried out under supervision, and practitioners are barred from operating room procedures.
The decision further stipulates that physicians and dentists holding the designations of resident physician or registered assistant may not practice independently in the private medical sector, except within licensed training institutions and in accordance with approved educational and supervisory frameworks.
To reinforce professional competency, the decision mandates that all medical practitioners and related healthcare professionals submit their academic qualifications for formal equivalency through the accredited national authority as a prerequisite for licensure.
In addition, physicians and dentists in the private sector seeking promotion to higher professional ranks or the addition of clinical titles must complete at least 100 Continuing Medical Education (CME) credit hours accredited by the Kuwait Institute for Medical Specializations.
Regarding license duration, medical practice licenses in the public sector will be issued for ten years and may be renewed until the age of 65, subject to medical fitness clearance. After that age, renewal is contingent upon periodic medical evaluations every two years. Identical conditions apply to practitioners in the private medical sector.
The decision clarifies that private-sector professional practice licenses remain valid in parallel with the operating license of the medical facility in which the practitioner works, with both licenses renewed simultaneously.
It also permits the conversion of professional licenses held by public-sector medical employees to private-sector licenses upon the end of their service with the Ministry of Health, subject to the payment of applicable fees and identification of the licensed private facility. This provision excludes individuals dismissed for disciplinary reasons, medical incapacity or license revocation for a period of one year from the date of enforcement.
The Ministry of Health further reserves the right to revoke, at its discretion and without providing justification, permits granted to Kuwaiti physicians authorized to practice in private facilities outside official government working hours.
Finally, the decision allows authorized Kuwaiti doctors to practice in more than one licensed private healthcare facility, up to a maximum of three, provided prior written approval is obtained from the Health Licensing Department.
