Improved Kuwaiti Health Services Urged

A senior government official in Kuwait says upgrading the health serviceto international standards must take precedence over the launch of a national health insurance scheme.

Abdul Rahman Asfour, director of the Jahra Medical Complex, has said that he disapproves of the government's plan to introduce health insurance in the public sector because the base of health services in the country is lacking. He added that it was more important to improve the standards of hospitals and polyclinic services and that resources were being wasted; hospitals were overcrowded and some lacked facilities.

Mr Asfour said the government had not spelt out its plan for health insurance, but one of the main conditions in the current proposals was that those who take part in the insurance scheme cannot enjoy privileged status at government hospitals.