Kuwait : Complete Profile - What is GIS - World Health Organization

Health Systems Profile- Kuwait Regional Health Systems Observatory- EMRO
8.3 Primary Health Care
Infrastructure for Primary Health Care
Primary health care is delivered through a series of health centers, with general or family
health clinics, maternal and child care clinics, diabetic clinics, dental clinics, and
preventive care clinics, school health services, ambulance services and police health
services are also available. Foreign residents are entitled to treatment here. The clinics
deal with preliminary examinations and routine matters and where necessary, patients
are referred to hospital specialists.
There are 72 primary health centres spread over the country. The services offered by
them include general practitioner services and childcare, family medicine, maternity care,
diabetes patient care, dentistry, preventive medical care, nursing care and
pharmaceuticals.
Settings and models of provision
Primary health care is provided through the health centers preventive & curative services
are provided to all population, Kuwaitis & non-Kuwaitis, to all age groups with special
care to mothers and children.
Public/private, modern/traditional balance of provision
Public-private ownership mix;
At present we don’t have this system.
Public Sector:
About 97% of PH care services are provided by Government, in a modern way of
provision.
Primary care delivery settings and principal providers of services; new models
of provision over last 10 years
In addition to the general practice services some health centers have mini clinics for
chronic diseases and for health promotion, also some health centers (10%) have applied
the family doctor system.
Public sector: Package of Services at PHC facilities
All items of the PHC are provided to the population mostly by the MOH, other items e.g.
supply of safe water, basic sanitation are provided by other ministries in collaboration
with the MoH.
Private sector: range of services, trends
There are many private clinics and hospitals in Kuwait. The Government monitors them,
ensures a high standard and regulates the fees charged. Most private hospitals have
their own pharmacies. Most private hospitals are also general hospitals with some
specialty departments.
Despite the excellent comprehensive services provided by the public health service,
private hospitals and clinics thrive in Kuwait. The MPH regulates standards and the fees
they may charge. The private hospitals and clinics have their own pharmacies. Most of
them are general hospitals with some specialist departments. Some have limited
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