Kuwait Health Initiative
Promoting Equitable Health Sector Reform in Kuwait
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Introduction
The Kuwait Health Initiative (KHI) is an organization of reformists that focuses on the health sector of Kuwait. Its members ascribe to a strict code of practice ethics and believe in the need for a rights-based approach to reform that targets all the residents of the nation and defends the most destitute populations.
The country’s leadership and policymakers must act promptly to reverse the unfolding health sector crisis. This initiative stems from the observed disconnect between the wealth of this nation, the quality of its health system, and the inequalities within its society. Through it, the KHI aims to unite the key stakeholders and engage in constructive debates on the critical issues plaguing our system while finding solutions which promote equitable reform.
While our government seeks to overcome the system’s failures by targeting secondary and tertiary services or engaging the private sector, for example, the KHI aspires to inform our leaders of more impartial means of raising standards of care and encourage cross-sector collaborations. Furthermore, as Kuwait continues to face criticism over human rights violations, this initiative strives to underscore the importance of promoting fairness to surmount inequalities and, ultimately, improve the health of every resident while allowing for proper human and social development.
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Mission Statement
The purpose for which the KHI was formed is to promote equity and reform in Kuwait’s health sector through research, public and provider education, and political action. The following represent the core principles by which the KHI stands:
- Every individual should have access to health services in an equitable and ethically sound manner irrespective of race, religion, gender, nationality, or socioeconomic status;
- Substantial improvements in the health sector will only be achieved through a greater focus on primary care services, including preventive medicine;
- Basic health services should be offered free of charge to the low income, disabled, unemployed, pediatric, and geriatric populations and at a minimal cost to the employed;
- Human rights in health should be maintained and protected at all levels of the society through legislation and advocacy;
- Any legal or behavioral distinctions between national and expatriate employees or patients of the health system must be averted;
- Reform of the health sector should be based on the best available evidence;
- Public health education should be encouraged at all levels of the health sector.
To ascertain the aforementioned principles, the KHI will proceed by:
- Exposing inequalities in the health sector through collaborative research with human rights, social development, and bioethics groups;
- Defining proposals to implement equitable reform strategies in the health sector by uniting experts from the health care, legal, political, and other relevant sectors;
- Seeking alliances with local non-governmental organizations and maintaining relationships with governmental agencies, civil society organizations, and leading academic institutions;
- Promoting an understanding that human rights violations such as segregation lead to inequalities in access to services and poor overall health status;
- Organizing educational activities for the public and the providers.
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Board of Directors
Nadeem Al-Duaij, MD
Co-Founder & Chair
Grad School | Master of Public Health Candidate | Harvard School of Public Health | Massachusetts, USA
Fellowship | Harvard Medical Toxicology | Massachusetts, USA
Residency | BIDMC Emergency Medicine | Massachusetts, USA
Medical School | Université de Genève | Geneva, Switzerland
Interests | Health Policy & Management, Health Sector Reform, Health Access Inequities in the Gulf States, Emergency Medicine & Medical Toxicology Systems Development
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Bibi Alamiri, MD, SM
Co-Founder & Vice-Chair
Grad School | Doctor of Science in Epidemiology Candidate | Harvard School of Public Health | Massachusetts, USA
Fellowship | MGH/McLean Child & Adolescent Psychiatry | Massachusetts, USA
Residency | Harvard South Shore Psychiatry | Massachusetts, USA
Medical School | Kuwait University | Jabriya, Kuwait
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Raed Hashem, MD
Vice-Chair
Fellowship | McMaster University Trauma | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Residency | McMaster University Emergency Medicine | Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Medical School | Royal College of Surgeons | Dublin, Ireland
Interests | Trauma, Disaster Medicine
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Raed Al-Roughani, MD, FRCPC, MSCS
Member
Fellowship | UBC Multiple Sclerosis | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Residency | UBC Neurology | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Medical School | Charles University | Prague, Czech Republic
Medical School | Newcastle upon-Tyne University | Newcastle, United Kingdom
Interests | Health Policy, Medical Ethics
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Faisal Saleh, MD
Member
Fellowship | UBC Geriatric Medicine | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Residency | UBC Internal Medicine | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Medical School | Royal College of Surgeons | Dublin, Ireland
Interests | Geriatric & Cardiac Medicine, Health Policy, Medical Ethics
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Anwar Al-Awadhi, MD
Member
Residency | NYU/Bellevue Emergency Medicine | New York, USA
Medical School | Royal College of Surgeons | Dublin, Ireland
Interests | Disaster Medicine, Quality Assurance
labeed said
Good luck in your in your movment and efforts.
Hope decision makers like the government and the the parliment realize the importance of good health care in our society.
I think we need a real reform in the quality of health care, a real attention for enviroment,social stress ,quality of life,equality before the law,very advanced hospitals,supporting teams,quality and best trained doctors.
We all must must bare in mind ,that every body must do best for our country(specially civil institutions) and it is all about the presnt and the future times of our nation…
Abdullah Al-Falah said
Dear Q8health Creators,
I would like to thank you for taking the time and effort for supporting alot of us here who would love to learn and grow more healthier day by day.
If you need any help, support or whatever just let us know and lets help you guys make this place a part of our daily ” to do ” list.
thank you again and good luck !
Raed said
Dear Abdulla,
We thank you for taking an interest in this work, and taking the time to give it an encouraging push forward. We do share your thoughts on the fact that health care sector in the region, and probably more precisely in Kuwait, will need quite a bit of work, but if everyone takes it to do his little part, the picture will undoubtedly look more colorful few steps down the road.
We appreciate your offer to help and support, and I have no doubt that this offer of support will be something we will be seeking out for in the future.
Raed
JB said
I am searching for a pediatric gastroenterologist to treat encopresis..if you can advise me on this and great site…
Raed said
Where are you looking to treat that? Kuwait or overseas (Europe, US, Canada)?
jb said
Kuwait.
Muthana said
I’m surprised that this site is almost 2 years old and never even hearing about it if it wasn’t for 248am’s post! I think there should be more Ads distributed around the hospitals in Kuwait because I’m sure many Kuwaiti Drs would be thrilled by the idea presented by this site and will be more than willing to help. It would be great if the Kuwait Health team would set up a gathering when you guys are back for a vacation to allow those interested in helping to organize among themselves. I agree with Abdullah about making this site part of our daily to do list and even getting more involved with the current issues pertaining to Kuwaiti Drs such as the “kadir idicatra” which is currently on the table being discussed by ministry of health officials. It would be great if those “ministry of health officials” do become aware of this site and learn from the great articles posted here. The problem is that many of those so called officials are ignorant when it comes to recent medical advancement and what i mean by that is not only the medical technologies but the administrative advancement which most, if not all, Kuwaiti hospitals lack. Of course what first comes to mind when mentioning this is the infamous promotions systems or “nitham itarqiyat” (assistant, junior reg., senior reg., specialist, consultant, consultant “a” or whatever) which humiliated many Kuwaiti drs and was the main reason for them to leave their home country and seek jobs in more “appreciative” medical systems.
Reem said
It was my husband who asked about the pediatric gastroenterologist. We are looking for a specialist in Kuwait. Any suggestions?
Raed said
Dear JB and Reem,
We are aware of Dr Ahlam Muslim, one of the recently done Canadian Peds GE specialist. The latest we have is that she is in a transitional work base period between Mubarak and Amiri hospitals. We are looking into more peds GE specialists for you to have more options both in the general and private sectors.
We hope this was of some help, and will post more leads once available to us. For now it goes without saying our best wishes to you for the case you have at hand.
Raed
Raed said
Dear Muthana,
We see where you are coming from, mind you this site started as a blogspot and evolved to the current semi-formal forum. We certainly see this project as being in a transitional phase, on it’s way to further improvement and diversity, what you can call work-in-progress. We look forward to your suggestions, kindly do keep the ideas coming, we’re certainly getting invaluable ideas both in our private e-mails as well as in public comments, must confess many of those ideas have been fabulously innovative at many levels, starting at content, onto the general outfit and appearance, all the way to maximizing the PR out reach of this work, and we look forward to placing many of those ideas into action.
With regard to your comment regarding the hot pending issues on the Kuwaiti physician table, there has been quite a bit of work that was placed in that area, among which was the creation of a Kuwaiti consolidating body of Kuwaiti physicians in North America, a voluntary union that gathered under it’s wing more than 84 Kuwaiti physicians and dentists currently residing in NA. A council was formed in a democratic fashion, and currently pursuing many of those issues you brought up, most of which touch all Kuwaiti physicians needs and long standing demands, only very few tackling the issues pertaining strictly to those in NA. The new union is named “Kuwaiti Physicians United in North America”, and was preceded by long discussions on many of those issues at hand. Editors of this site had the pleasure of being among the great team who co-founded that union. We are aware that there are many ideas other than forming another union, but we’re hoping all will take place in due time, provided everyone does his little part.
Do help us reach as many physicians, activists, interest individuals, politicians and intellectuals.
Raed
Reem said
Wow…that’s great to hear! any info on how we can get intouch with her?
Reem said
On a different note but related to my sons condition…it seems to me that Dr. Bibi can be of help too at this stage. How is it possible to get intouch with her?
bibi said
Dear Reem,
Thanks for your post. I am not yet a formally trained child psychiatrist. However I will gladly send you some resources that you might find useful. Please expect an email with this information.
Kind regards,
Bibi
Mai Al-Nakib said
I am so impressed with this site and with the efforts of this group of young Kuwaiti doctors! One of the great fears I have living in this country is that me or my loved ones will fall seriously ill and will receive sub-standard care. We hear horror stories about untreated or misdiagnosed illnesses or general malpractice. I have witnessed healthcare in Kuwait steadily deteriorate and the level of education in the medical school (which used to be superlative and at an international level) fall. Whereas young Kuwaiti doctors who study and work in the US and Canada receive excellent training during their residencies, doctors who graduate from England, other European countries, Egypt or Pakistan do not, and this should not be unacceptable (in the not so distant past, it was not, in fact, accepted). Kuwait is a rich country and there is simply no excuse for the chaotic, miserable system we currently have in place. Private health care in Kuwait is a joke and is incredibly unethical as it is currently organized. Doctors should not be in medicine to make a ton of money. It is astonishing to me that the noble profession of medicine can be corrupted in this way. On a happier note—the fact that you are all working so hard to make a real difference gives me great hope. I am an Associate Professor at Kuwait University, and if there is anything you think I could do to further your efforts, please feel free to contact me. Good luck. Concerned citizens are rooting for you!
Mai Al-Nakib said
Oops sorry! I’m an Assistant not Associate Prof! Getting ahead of myself…
nadeem said
Dear Mai,
Thank you so much for your words. Being honored by the support of scholars like you further strengthens our efforts to reach out to and educate the Kuwaiti audience. The idea for such a site stemmed a couple of years ago from the misleading information fed to our public about our so-called exemplary health care system. The reality, that you eloquently highlight, is fundamentally different and, through this initiative, we seek to overcome the disconnect between our increasing wealth and the deteriorating health services.
We hope that, as an increasing number of academics, physicians, intellectuals, and policy-makers return to Kuwait and engage in constructive debate, relationships between ourselves, our neighboring nations, and elite institutions of the Western world will consolidate and lead to much-needed reform.
Your graceous offer of help is deeply appreciated and we look forward to working with you in the near-future towards achieving these goals.
nadeem
zaydoun said
Hi Nadeem… are we cousins? I’m very proud of you!
nadeem said
Dear Zaydoun,
Thanks so much for your kind words. This means a great deal coming from a pioneer blogger.
Please try to contact me offline when possible.
Thanks again!
nadeem
Ebaa said
Allow me to offer my congratulations on your new Kuwait health blog. I am so impressed
It is with honour and heartful joy that I congratulate you all on this effort.
May today’s success, be the beginning of tomorrow’s achievements. Congratulations and keep up the hard work
Laurel-Titi Ipadeola said
I am a U.S citizen with doctoral level education in the mental health field. I believe that America is saturated with too many professional especially in the mental health field. I read the World Health Organization report on the need for MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES in Kuwait and I am intrested in working in Kuwait as amental health professional providing excellent needed mental services and conducting research to understand underlying problems and suggesting solutions based on sound research and innovative techniques. I do not know who to contact or the human resources department to contact in Kuwait in order to submit my resume /CV for review and application for employment or perhaps to set up a very good mental health private practice. I am also interested in partnering with interested people to establish private practice to provide mental health services in Kuwait.
My Phone number is 323-440-9176 (U.S.A)
I am available 24 -hours
it will be appreciated if I receive a response
nadeem said
Ebaa,
Thank you so much for your continued support. It is always good to hear from you. We hope to continue to provide pertinent articles about our health care system. Please feel free to send us your comments and suggestions.
Take care.
Laurel-Titi,
Thank you for your comment. It is good to hear of your interest to develop the area of mental health in Kuwait. It is certainly one of our most underdeveloped specialties needing as much support as possible. The Kuwait Health team will be contacting you privately to further discuss this.
Kind regards.
nadeem
Laurel-Titi Ipadeola said
Thank you Nadeem for your response and your efforts in the quest for qualitative health care for Kuwait citizens.
I hold you and your collegues in very high esteem for your thoughtfuless, seriousness of purpose and world view.
I am highly impressed by you and others in your efforts, as leaders in the society you are appreciated and the CONTRIBUTIONS you are making will never be overlooked for centuries to come.
Lets keep talking and soon a collaborative team of concerned people like you and I and others for Kuwait health will assist the present infrastucture to improve existing health system for the people. I am highly motivated in this pursuit.
Keep up the good work.
Yousef Al Muhanna said
1st of all, thanks for this wonderful chance to express our ideas and images for our healthcare system in our beloved country Kuwait. I’m general secretary of the Kuwait Medical Students’ Association and i think a further collaborative work would be of a maximum benefit for the potential doctors. Good luck and God bless you all.
nadeem said
Dear Yousef,
Thank you for the kind words of support. I believe that working with the KuMSA would only add to our efforts to reach out to our future leadership, the Kuwaiti medical student body. I will be contacting you privately to discuss opportunities we could consider.
Take care and all the best.
Dr. MOHAMMED ALQATTAN said
A Big Hi for u all , Thanks a lot for all ur efforts.
I am dr. Mohammed alqattan , It just happened that my name is connected with MOH in kuwait after I have wone my court case against the MOH at the eara of the minister Dr. Aljarralla and his under secretary Dr. Al ZAID, 2 years back afer a 10 years conflict in courts.
I am a graduate of the RCSI dublin/Ireland 1984.
MRCGP/ UK
Trainer and examiner in family practice.
Retired from minstry 2006.
Head of AL SAAD PRIVATE CLINIC.
Senior advisor for AL AMAN HEALTH CARE GROUP.
SPECIAL INTREST : HEALTH REFORMS….especially the subject in Kuwait which is the main reason for ur Kuwait health united , as
I under stand.
My request is can i jion ur union?
I NEED UR HELP TO ENRICH MY CURRENT PROPASL HUGE WORK TO DETERMIN AND EVALUATE THE REALISTIC CURRENT STATE OF HEALTH CARE IN KUWAIT AND TO DIAGNOSE THE CUASES OF DROP IN HEALTH CARE LEVEL IF IT IS REALY THER , AND ACT POSITIVELY TO PROBLEM-SOLVE THE SERIOUS ISSUE THROUGH PRIVITISATION OR OTHER WIZE.
WE ARE PLANNING A REGIONAL CONFFERENCE IN KUWAIT NEXT YEAR I HOPE, VISITORS WORLD WIDE WILL BE INVITED IN DIFFERNT RELATED DISCIPLINS LIKE EXPERT PROFESSORS IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION , HEALTH POLITICAL ECONOMY , HEALTH REFFOMS EXPERRTS, REGIONAL DIRECTORS FROM SUCSSEFULL HEALTH PROGRAMS IN THE GULF, UR UNION OND OTHER INTRESTED PROFFISSIONALS.
I AM REALY INTRESTED TO MEET U EVEN BY VIDEO CONFFERRENCING FASCILITY IF U HAVE IT.WISHING U BEST OF LUCK.
DR. AL QATTAN
n.alrashidee said
السلام عليكم و رحمة الله و بركاته
شكرا جزيلا على العمل الجبار الذي تقومون به و بوكت جهودكم و ادام الله استمراريتكم
من خلال موقعكم الكريم وجدت المكلن الذي بامكاني افادت جتمعي الذي يفتقر الى الوي الصحي و خاصة في مجال التغذية
انا طالبة في قسم التغذية في جامعة الكويت
و لي خبرة في العمل لنوادي public health
فاذا كان هناك اي عمل بامكان يمساعدكم فانا اتشرف بذلك
nadeem said
Thank you all for your kind words and support. I truly believe that by spreading the word and creating a network of like-minded individuals via this medium, we’ll eventually build a healthier nation. It’ll take many years before we can rid our nation of the disease that is wasta and replace our policy-makers with more motivated, innovative and risk-taking leaders. Once again, it’ll unfortunately take a scandal (or rather several scandals in the case of Kuwait) to instigate change in any given system. To give you a sad example, our colleagues training in Canada are facing the threat of suspension from their programs because of the lack of prompt response from our governmental institutions to newly-implemented Canadian laws regarding physicians’ call stipends. This inertness seems to continually drive us into problematic situations while we neglect to take a proactive and preventative approach. God help us…
Ahmed Almajed said
Dear kuwait health team,
keep up the great work! you are on the right track! someone should react! and am sure with you and others support, one day there should be an action!
am so passionate about what are you doing, and we are doing almost the same thing but in the sport filed! which i think it’s so connected (physical activity and health)
am doing my master study in sports administration in switzerland and am doing my thesis about the physical activity and health in kuwait! i was shocked when i saw Kuwait ranked number 8 in the world fattest countries!
once again i would like to thank you for your efforts! keep up the amazing job!
yours
Ahmed Almajed
nadeem said
Thanks so much for your comments Ahmed! Indeed, the lack of physical activity observed in Kuwait is one of the major determinants of our population’s health and I suspect that, if this sedentariness persists, we will witness a dramatic rise in morbidity and mortality over the next decades. The frightening levels of obesity in our children will lead to earlier onset diabetes and hypertension and this will translate into heart disease at younger ages. We all have our share of blame for this and we must start by improving our own lifestyles and that of our families for anything else to change.
Best of luck on your Master degree and thanks again for your input.
Leena said
Hi, was wondering if anybody knows what happened to Dr. Abdullah Al Shamma (psychiatry), He was a collegue of mine in psychiatry and I heard some sad news, that he passed away.
Anyone knows.
Dr Faisal Al-Terkait said
I was so surprised and flattered at the same time when I found your site.
I am surprised that your great site is not well advertised. I am flattered to find I was not alone and some one else started before me.
Any chance we can share our comments at your site?
Faisal
Medical Oncology MBBS, MRCP, CCST
UK
nadeem said
Dear Leena, thank you for your question. Please refer to our email response. We all mourn the death of our esteemed colleague and friend. May God bless him and his family.
nadeem said
Dear Faisal, thank you for your kind words. We would be more than happy to share any comments, knowledge, thoughts, ideas, etc with you. I’d also like to congratulate you on your web site. It is by informing our colleagues and compatriots that we will eventually instigate change in the system. Please let us know how we could best complement and support your efforts.
Dr Faisal Al-Terkait said
Dear Nadeem
Your site is full of information and ideas that am struggling to find the time to catch up with it. I promise you I will study all the topics and share my thoughts as I’ve already felt welcomed here. I just found the right league to share.
I can tell, you would not be offended by objective criticism for the sake of this country. I am sure you will not take it personally.
As you mentioned we need more professions getting involved in discussing these crucial issues.
Thanks to you and to all people who want to make our Country better and Eidkum Mbarak
Raed Alroughani said
Dear Nadeem and other colleagues,
We are all in agreement that the health system in Kuwait is a big mess. The big question what can we do to revive it? I guess both your group and Faisal’s group could combine the work and establish one solid well-advertised group where many physicians gather and discuss options for the future reform. We have established many yahoo and google groups for Kuwaiti physicians as you know but yet to be effective in dealing with even our simplest matters. If you need any further help with this issue, i am more than happy to assist in this and can talk to the moderators of other groups to combine all works in one excellent blog/website.
Raed Alroughani
faisal alterkait said
I agree with raed, and my site is coming down, I will share my thoughts and ideas here
nadeem said
Raed, thanks for your words. I agree that our efforts have been quite dispersed and lack the unity we all intended to promote. Building a single forum through which we can channel our thoughts and ideas and consolidate efforts to revive our system is great idea. On the other hand, diversity has its advantages too. It gives us the space to use different approaches in our quest for reform. The Yahoo! group’s purpose is to convey and plan the actions of the Committee when dealing with specific issues pertaining to the overseas trainee. The Google group finds its strength in informing all Kuwaiti physicians of current events. Collectively, they provide a “live” forum through which we can express ourselves on these issues. Kuwait Health attempts to provide an analysis of our health sector and inform both laypeople and health care providers of what is “really” going on in the region. My sense is that we could all benefit from the experience, knowledge-base, and contacts each individual effort has to offer. We would gladly welcome input, as long as it remains in line with our objectives, from other groups in view of attaining this unity we all seek.
Faisal, we are all flattered and honored by your gesture which means a great deal to us. We look forward to working towards making this change a reality.
I will email you both privately to make this happen.
Faisal Saleh- Vancouver said
salam alaikum
Dear Bibi,Nadeem and Raed
i must congratulate you on your forum and wish you all the success,I’m really thrilled with the level of professionalism and analytic skills that each contributor is raising .i must blame my busy personal life for the late congrats to you.
as we are all aiming for better health system in Kuwait and as a moderator of the other groups and as i mentioned to Nadeem privately , please consider the other yahoo and google groups complimentary and totally under your service .
Faisal
Vancouver
nadeem said
Faisal, we are honored by your good words. Without the support of peers like you, this site would certainly not be where it is today. We hope to continue to provide pertinent, thought-provoking, and debate-generating (?) content. Likewise, speaking for the entire crew, please consider Kuwait Health your home and feel free to jot down thoughts or ideas at any time.
Take care!
Marja said
I am a Canadian nurse and first aid instructor. I get a lot of questions about how the EMS service works here in Kuwait. I also get a lot of questions about which hospital to go to in case of heart attack and other various emergencies. Would you please comment.
nadeem said
Hi Marja, thanks for your note. The EMS system in Kuwait is predominantly government-based. Upon calling 777, the call center dispatches an ambulance. From feedback we have received, the 777 service is not always reliable owing, in part, to the lack of training of dispatchers. Staffing of ambulances can be variable and, although the EMS does have trained paramedics, the services provided do not always equal that provided by traditional ALS crews seen in the Anglo-american model. Anectodal evidence suggests that paramedics are beginning to take on more responsibilities. However, many still just scoop and run without providing comprehensive ALS services. Since a lot of our cases are polytrauma victims, this may not be such a bad thing after all (as recent Canadian evidence suggests). The deficits clearly appear to be in the response times and the crew’s knowledge-base in disease recognition.
With regards to directing patients in case of a life-threat, it is classic teaching that the nearest ED is the right answer since time is myocardium, brain, limb, vision, etc. For other emergencies, patients must go to their region’s main medical center (as per their civil ID location). This goes for public services. When it comes to private facilities, things get a little complicated. You see, most private hospitals do not have the full array of services necessary to care for critically ill patients. Actually, they will often deflect or redirect patients to a major public center. For this reason and since their standards of care are difficult to assess, we currently cannot recommend visiting a private hospital for a life-threatening emergency. For minor emergencies, hospitals such as New Mowasat, Al-Salam International Hospital, along with a few others are sufficiently equipped to handle them.
I hope that this helps. Feel free to contact us directly using the “contact us” page.
All the best.
Mohummed A. Saleem said
Dear Friends,
My name is Mohummed Saleem and I am working in the Healthcare sector in Kuwait. Through my search on google, I stumbled onto your site. I must admit, you guys are doing a great job. In fact, amazing efforts and dedication is put in.
I would consider myself honored if I could assist you in any way.
Hope to hear from you,
Regards,
MAS
John Shelton said
I just happened to come across this website whilst doing a search. What a great initiative! Good luck with it and looking forward to seeing the pair of you (Nadeem & Bibi) back in Kuwait soon. Manal and I both miss you. Best wishes. John.
Harry McBride said
No mention of HIV and Kuwait’s attitudes to it. Friend of mine had an emergency op recently at Mubarak and was compulsorily HIV tested before it. Is this right in your eyes?
Raed Alroughani said
Dear Harry,
Obviously, this is not right. The ethical system in the ministry of health is very weak and it is not even respected by physicians, and other allied heath staff. I would suggest that your friend sues the hospital for not getting his/her consent. This is the minimal rights he or she could get in Kuwaiti Hospital.
The issue of HIV in Kuwait is more complicated because of it social implications in Kuwaiti society. However, the health system should not be immuned from taking a similar action in term of obtaining consent from patients suspected to have HIV. In the western system, the only case where the patient is to be tested by HIV with minimal restriction of legal consent is when the patient is pregnant as this may affect a new life.
Finally, we really share your concern as Kuwaities and we are trying hard to get our voices heard by the high authorities in the state.
Raed Alroughani
Vancouver,
Harry McBride said
So, is it standard procedure in Kuwait then?
Harry McBride said
We both know that any legal action would be a waste of time.
Raed Alroughani said
It is kinda of standard procedure in Kuwait but we are trying to change this mentality since now a large of North America certified physicians are trying to change those messy procedures that have no ethical backgrounds.
Harry McBride said
Wow! Talk about an abuse of rights. Would they refuse treatment and deport anyone found to be HIV positive during pre-op tests?
You might want to think about devoting some space to this important issue.
That said, I applaud your efforts and am generally impressed by the work that you are doing. Keep it up.
Reem A. said
Harry, unfortunately I think the issue is bigger and far more serious than compulsory HIV testing that your friend had to go through. The current voices aiming to blame expatriates for the possible rise of certain infections as HIV or hepatitis C are merely a diversion from the fact that these infections may be increasing in the Kuwaiti community with no current prevention plan or awareness policy.
If compulsory HIV testing is to be implemented as a public health strategy, then i think it should be applied to everyone; Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaitis alike in a civil respectful way and not in your face way, as you suggested. Those of us who have worked in Kuwait know that the current official figures do not mean much as Kuwaitis with strong risk factors for an infection as HIV may refuse to be tested and eventually go home to their wives and spread further the infection. In addition to that, just testing for HIV is meaningless in absence of an accurate estimation of the current problem (What are the true current HIV infection rate, mode of infection, demographics of the infected population… etc) and in the absence of a well-studied plan to reduce future incidences.
In a nutshell, i think testing for infections as HIV for those who may not be able to refuse is only a distraction from potential problem that is not yet appropriately addressed.
Rachele said
What a great site. I am wondering if you can tell me of a good psychiatrist in Kuwait? and one to help with insomnia. Your help is greatly appreciated
A said
What a great site! I am really impressed by the work you are doing, keep it up…
I was wondering if you can help me find a good psychotherapist in Kuwait. I need it for a friend who is going through a very difficult divorce. Thank you in advance.
Dr. Naif Abdulrahman Al-Mutawa said
For all those who have been long waiting for professional psychological services in Kuwait, Two Kuwaiti Medical School Professors, one of whom is licensed in New York State to practice clinical psychology, will be opening a professional clinic in Kuwait City some time after February 1st 2009. The clinic will be run under their supervision and will be staffed with qualified professionals.
nadeem said
Dear Dr. Al-Mutawa,
Thank you for sharing the news of the forthcoming practice. I believe you are referring to yourself as the supervisor of the practice. The team at KHI would be grateful if you could update us, when possible, with additional details including the names of other practitioners and whether there will be a referral system to quality psychiatric service. The KHI cannot recommend any practice but will gladly allow the dissemination of the information.
Kindly,
Nadeem Al-Duaij, MD
Dr. Naif Abdulrahman Al-Mutawa said
Dear Dr. AL-Duaij:
Yes, I am referring to myself and to Dr. Jaafar Behbehani. We are clinical psychologists, not psychiatrists, and are part of the Faculty at Kuwait University’s Faculty of Medicine. I will surely update you.
Best
Naif
Martha said
Dear Dr. Bibi et al. –
It is really wonderful to find this site, with names of people I know! As you know, I have worked on the Harvard-Kuwait Public Health Project for several years. Currently, I am director of research computing and data analysis at the Harvard Center for Population & Development Studies. The new center director, Lisa Berkman, is a leader – perhaps founder would be a better word – in social epidemiology.
I miss my work in Kuwait and hope that perhaps I can keep in touch with my Kuwaiti friends through this blog.
Martha
Raed Alroughani said
Dear Dr Naif,
Great news. We need more clinical psychologists in Kuwait and both will be of great asset to both the patients and other physicians. I was looking for a clinical psychologist to participate in one of my projects that i am conducting in Canada and was going to extend it once back to Kuwait. Could you please provide your email to give you a brief details about it?
Best regards,
Raed Alroughani
Naif Al-Mutawa said
Sure. My email is naif@the99.org or naif@al-mutawa.com or naif@hsc.edu.kw