Healthcare in Kuwait

Julia Chodor Chodorowska
Adan Hospital. Photo: Julia Chodor

I got a new experience in Kuwait. No one wants to gain this one but sometimes you cannot avoid it. What do I mean? I’m talking about health and health services.

My the youngest needed a vaccine. I took her to the „ministry clinic”. Only there, kids can get a vaccination. We came, I show the passport (girls and me, we are still on tourist visas). I was told to go to the vaccination room. We did not wait in a queue. My sweetheart was vaccinated. I paid nothing. After the vaccination, the nurse told me to go to the pharmacy to get a paracetamol for the little one. I went and I was given the paracetamol. Guess what, I paid nothing for it.

Later during the day, my little sweetheart got a rush. It happens sometimes after the vaccination. So I went back to the clinic. The doctor examined the little one and directed us to the hospital. In a midtime, nurses put some gel for allergies on the little. And guess what…. yes, exactly we paid nothing. I remind you once again, we are on tourist visas.

Ok, we went to the hospital. Like all hospitals, it was big and crowdy. Without much of waiting we managed to do everything, The little one was registered, examined, given medicines and prescription. And guess what, yes, exactly, you are right.

The only thing we needed to pay for was the drugs on the prescription. For 4 different medicaments, we paid KD 5 (USD 15).

I must say that health service in Kuwait works fine, there is really not much to complain about.

Comparing to my experience from other countries. The health care is really good. It is even a little better than in Spain, but the Spanish one is also very good. The Polish healthcare is way behind, and the US healthcare system I will not even mention.

What I really like about healthcare in Kuwait and Spain, that it is for free if you live in a country. You do not need necessary to work, living is enough. I like the approach that it is better to prevent than to cure and the costs are lower.

So, dear US government, next time when you decide to change other countries political systems, think, that maybe in this non-democratic country with nationalized business, actually the money earn on oil is designed to the inhabitants, not to the great oil companies. And have in mind that your citizens pay high taxes and get nothing in return. The people in Kuwait do not have to pay taxes and still they have good public healthcare.