Over the last few years there have been incidents where I have had some interaction with private hospitals from normal cases to emergency cases which could be fatal. There is a lot that can be said about Kuwait’s medical system, one simple thought that comes to mind is that it is that we are lacking hospitals. And a few private hospitals have popped out but they aren’t as good as people have in mind.

Public:

When it comes to serious cases in Kuwait they always go to the Public sector, they have really good doctors and there are that people that care. It is sad seeing people get caught in the bureaucracy which is rampant in the public hospitals they end up not getting the medical treatment that is needed. Then there is the lack of professional care, half the recovery is after the surgery or when you are in the case of the nurses and in the public hospitals the employees are slightly disgruntled or do what they can with what they have.

What we need is some new hospitals and a drastic cut in the bureaucracy, our hospitals are in disarray and badly maintained with patchwork keeping it together. The same person cleaning the bathrooms is the same person serving the patients food which is a disaster. For country such as Kuwait it sad to see the state of these hospitals even when our doctors are really good. We really do have good doctors but sadly they get disheartened and we loose some of them who become prominent doctors in Europe, Canada, and the US.

Private:

There are a few private hospitals that have popped over the last few years and some of them are decent. But what I always feel about private hospitals is that they are trying to squeeze every penny out of you, not necessarily trying to rob you bling but a bit going over board.

One very drastic problem with private hospitals is that they will not accept dangerous cases or accidents which has happened with me personally. I was taking someone in who had a severe head injury and was refused entry by security at the door even though he was covered in blood from his head to his waist. I put him back in my car and flew to Mubarak Hospital who took him in right away and got him into surgery.

Then there is the drastic lack of equipment and expertise in emergency or complex cases. They all say they have emergency rooms or floors but in reality they don’t have the adequate equipment to handle them and this we have also experienced. There has to be some sort of oversight by the government to make sure they are ready for all types of cases which they are not. They might have nice buildings, clean areas, and smiling staff but still they aren’t equipped for every type of issue.