Kuwait

This country, located at the north of the Persian Gulf, with borders with Iraq and Saudi Arabia, has been controlled by the al-Sabah family, with Sheikh Mubarak al-Lahab ibn Sabah Al Sabah (reigned 18961915), trying to establish a modern health care system by inviting Dr. Arthur Bennett from the Arabian Mission of the U.S. Dutch Reformed Church, then based in Basra, to establish a clinic in Kuwait City. In 1911 there was a small hospital for men, which was designed by two U.S. engineers who were in the region – it was the first reinforced concrete building in the country. The doctor in charge was Dr. Stanley Mylrea who was from Britain but had trained in the United States. He ran the hospital until his death in 1952, by which time he had also established a church and a school adjoining the hospital. In 1919, another hospital had been established for women. The first significant medical care facility in the Emirate was the Olcott Memorial Hospital which was opened in 1934, with 34 beds.

After World War II, with the advent of oil revenues, there was an expansion of the health services with the building of the Amiri Hospital which opened in 1949. In addition, the Kuwait Oil Company (K.O.C.) started its own clinics. This led to the establishment of a comprehensive health care system with free services for all the citizens in the country. It was not long before the general mortality rate was reduced, and the infant mortality rate was dramatically cut. As there were few Kuwaiti doctors, most doctors were from Egypt, gradually with Kuwaiti doctors being trained in the United States and Britain. Gradually courses were introduced at the College of Medicine at Kuwait University, and it was not long before many doctors from the region came to train in Kuwait. In 1983 the Arab Centre for Medical Literature was established in Safat as part of the ambition for the Council of Arab Ministers of Health seeing to encourage the publication of medical literature in the Arab world.

Administratively, Kuwait is divided into six health regions, each with a general hospital run by the government. Given the small size of the country, this has shown a considerable investment in the health care service, with 17 hospitals in the entire country, with a total of 6,000 beds, or one for about each 350 people. In addition to these hospitals, there are many polyclinics, and 160 dental clinics. In total there are about 12,000 people in Kuwait working in health care, a figure which includes 2,500 doctors and 7,000 nurses, most still being expatriates. Medications prescribed by doctors are given fee from hospitals or government pharmacies, and the government undertake that if any citizen has health care needs which cannot be met within Kuwait will be treated overseas at government expense.

The Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in August 1990, and their occupation until February 1991, led to damage [Page 988]to some of the main hospitals, partially from looting, but also from the fighting, and the flight or evacuation of many foreign medical personnel. Since the war, the Kuwaiti government established a clinic to care for those who suffered during the Iraqi Occupation—this includes the provision of trained psychologists to deal with traumas from the Gulf War. There has become increasing tensions in the country from non-citizens, especially Arabs living in Kuwait who, not being citizens, do not have complete access to the health care system in the country.

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