In response to a parliamentary query submitted by MP Dr. Hassan Jowhar, Minister of Health, Dr. Khaled Al-Saeed said the health insurance hospitals have no clear vision and are unable to provide the required health services on the basis of which the service was awarded to these hospitals and added the Ministry has not concluded a contract with the insurance companies because they have yet to give a complete picture of its health system.
The response of Al-Saeed, a copy of which Al-Jarida newspaper has obtained, said the implementation of health insurance hospitals designated for expatriates is not within the competence of the Ministry of Health, and that the ministry did not conclude the contract with the company in order to protect public money.
According to the bidding document which the Insurance Regulatory Unit was awarded the insurance company is entitled to collect the value of health insurance from expatriates immediately upon signing the contract, which the ministry called inconsistent.
He went on to say, if the ministry concludes this contract in light of the incomplete health system and the responsibility falls on the Ministry of Health to provide health services to expatriates but gives the health insurance company the right to collect the value of the health insurance without providing any services, this would be a waste of public money and a waste of the ministry’s rights, as the ministry will be responsible for providing health services to expatriates and end up bearing the costs without any benefit.
Since the goal of establishing the company to provide basic health services to expatriates is to reduce the burden on the government hospitals and healthcare centers, and to develop the health system in the State of Kuwait as an initiative for a real partnership between the public and private sectors, by activating the role of the private sector in providing health sector services, this contradicts the reality of the inability of the health insurance hospitals to provide the service, and the lack of a clear vision for the company to provide the required health services on the basis of which the award was made, said Dr Al-Saeed.
He added, if we assume that a contract was signed with the company, it will automatically collect the value of the health insurance according to the terms and conditions, and the company will collect during the first year an estimated approximately 260 million dinars without providing any service, and the Ministry will provide the service without any consideration, and the five percent of the aforementioned does not equal the value of the services that will be provided the ministry.
He added, since the ministry is the one that still provides the health service at its various levels in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 1 of 1999 regarding health insurance for expatriates, it is the one who is entitled to collect the value of the health insurance and fees for the services provided.
Al-Saeed stressed that according to the provisions of the Civil Law, there is no entitlement to a financial compensation except in exchange for a service provided (and there are no tangible services by the company that are entitled to any financial compensation), and in the event that the Ministry waives part of its revenues without an actual service provided by the company, then the Ministry will bear the expenses of treating resident expatriates.
He continued saying, this action by the ministry comes in fulfillment of the principles established by the Audit Bureau of the necessity of preserving public money in compliance with Cabinet Resolution No. 220/2 of 2018 regarding taking steps and measures to activate expenditure control and serious rationalization of spending, as well finding ways and means to maximize revenues.
He pointed out that on November 28, 2019, the Fatwa and Legislation Department was addressed to inquire about the permissibility of providing health care services to expatriates through private sector hospitals, due to the lack of readiness of the hospitals of the Health Insurance Company and if this is not done, it will be a reward for the company for its failure to implement the conditions of the contract which is inconsistent with sound legal logic.
Regarding the deputy’s demand for the Ministry of Health’s plan to increase the number of hospital beds and establish new hospitals, the minister said the ministry’s development plan is to raise bed capacity in hospitals implemented by the Ministry of Health, it resulted in the completion of buildings to increase beds capacity in the following hospitals:
• Al-Razi Hospital, 240 beds.
• Al-Amiri Hospital, 415 beds.
Between 2021 and 2026, the plan is to increase the number of beds in the following hospitals:
• The New Al-Sabah Hospital has 317 beds, a completion rate of 78.48 percent.
• The new Communicable Diseases Hospital with 224 beds, a completion rate of 73.23 percent.
• Kuwait Cancer Control Center 618 beds, 36.89 percent.
• Farwaniya Hospital, 955 beds, 70 percent.
• Al-Adan Hospital, 637 beds, 65.28 percent.
• The new Ibn Sina Hospital with 296 beds, is underway in coordination with the Ministry of Public Works and Kuwait Municipality.
• The Medical City in Sabah Al-Ahmad Residential City has 500 beds in the design phase.
Note that all contracts have been approved by all regulatory authorities.
On the other hand, in response to a parliamentary question by Dr. Muhammad Al-Huwaila, about the reasons for the delay in the implementation of major hospital expansion projects, the Minister of Health replied that, according to the statement of the concerned sector concerned with the ministry, it is a result of the repercussions of the spread of the new epidemic of the Corona virus covid-19 and the decisions taken by the authorities, in addition to the precautionary measures that most countries resorted to, to combat this epidemic , which had an impact on the implementation of the following projects’ works, as the works were subjected to a sharp decline, whether in productivity or achievement.
The following projects were affected: The Nursing Services Administration Building in Al-Sabah Medical District, the new building at the Kuwait Cancer Control Center, the new Al-Sabah Hospital, new buildings at Al-Farwaniyah Hospital, new buildings at Al-Adan Hospital, and a new building at the Communicable Diseases Hospital.
He continued saying, accordingly, the above-mentioned project contractors have submitted claims to extend the time of their contracts concluded with the ministry, which have been studied and our recommendations were raised in this regard, and in coordination with the regulatory authorities, the contract for the Nursing Services Administration Building project in Al-Sabah Medical District was extended for 400 days, and the contract for the new building project at the Kuwait Cancer Center for 10 months.
A project of new buildings in Farwaniya Hospital was contracted for 6 months, and coordination is underway with the regulatory authorities regarding the new Al-Sabah Hospital project, new buildings in Al-Adan Hospital, and the new building in the Communicable Diseases Hospital to determine the eligibility of the contractors to grant them the time extension of their contracts.
In addition, in response to a parliamentary question by Dr. Saleh Al-Mutairi, the Minister of Health, said that the most important criteria and requirements followed by the Ministry of Health for cases of sending patients abroad, which are regulated by ministerial decisions issued regarding the regulation of treatment abroad, are: The delegation of citizens for treatment abroad is limited to cases of cancer, cases of intractable surgeries, critical cases, and intractable non-surgical cases (for adults and children) which the Higher Medical Committee for Treatment Abroad “surgical — non-surgical” decides upon treatment outside the State of Kuwait due to the lack of treatment in the hospitals and centers of the Ministry of Health after reviewing the reports of the specialized medical committees in public hospitals and specialized centers.
He pointed out that 874 cases were sent for treatment abroad during the period from March to May 2021.
