As part of its austerity measures to reduce spending the Ministry of Health will present its views to the Council of Ministers to reduce dispensing of medicines for expatriates in hospitals, health centers, and support medical services, and possibly suggest alternative means to treat ‘foreigners’, Al-Rai daily reported.
Informed government sources told Al-Rai the ministry plans to present a comprehensive plan next week related to a series of measures to reduce spending by at least 10 percent from the fiscal year 2021-2022.
The sources explained the Cabinet has mandated the Ministry of Health to provide the Ministry of Finance a study on the item on medicines and means of alternative treatment for expatriates, the possibility of reducing the number of students on scholarship, cutting down on the number of non-Kuwaiti workers in health offices abroad and limiting the treatment abroad to critical cases only.
The sources pointed the Ministry of Health has flexible options concerning alternatives to treating expatriates, in a way that does not affect the service provided to this segment.