Kuwait has issued a new decision which states that a fee will be charged on expats for blood transfusions, as per a new report by the Kuwait Times. The decision was issued by Kuwait’s Health Minister Dr Ahmad Al-Awadhi.
The move is part of the ministry’s efforts to preserve the state’s strategic reserves of blood.
The new fees include KWD20 (AED240 approximately) for each bag of blood given to an expat resident in Kuwait, and KWD40 (AED480 approximately) for each bag given to a foreigner on a visit visa.
Public health facilities will also collect fees from expatriates for up to 37 lab tests related to blood transfusions.
The fees range from KWD0.5 to KWD15 (AED6 to AED180 approximately) for expat residents and between KWD5 and KWD70 (AED60 and AED840 approximately) for visitors.
Kuwait exempts blood donors, expats in emergency
However, patients who find blood donors will be exempt from the fees, and the decision will not be applicable to expat patients in emergency or urgent cases, cancer patients, children, and other humanitarian cases.
Inaugurating a ward for Kuwaiti patients at Montefiore Hospital in New York on Friday, Kuwait’s Consul General in New York Azzam Al-Asfour, and head of the Kuwait health office in Washington Dr Faisal Al-Safi affirmed their continuous efforts to cooperate with the best hospitals across the US and share medical research experience with the best centers in the country.
Montefiore President Dr Philip Ozuah said the hospital’s initiative came in appreciation of the strong relations with Kuwait and Kuwait’s continuous trust in the hospital for treating Kuwaiti patients.
Asfour voiced deep appreciation to the hospital for opening a specialised ward for Kuwaiti patients, noting that the step will certainly enhance health cooperation further between the two sides.
The collection of fees from expatriates for blood transfusions has raised concerns amongst the expatriate community, with some expressing that it would be a burden for those who are already facing financial difficulties.
However, others have expressed their understanding of the decision, given that it is aimed at preserving the state’s strategic reserves of blood.
A leftist group in Kuwait, the Kuwaiti Progressive Movement, strongly criticised the decision on Sunday, calling the measure “discriminatory.”
“The Progressive Movement said in a statement the decision discriminates between patients on the basis of religion, creed, social class and gender.
The statement added that the movement claimed “class-based discrimination has increased rapidly in state institutions”, adding that the level of discrimination reached in the country is “unprecedented.”
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