Rising costs pose threat to medical services -Al-Falah

KUWAIT, Oct 25 (KUNA) -- Ever increasing costs offer a major threat to health care in Kuwait, said a senior official at the Health Ministry on Saturday. It is a basic assumption that financing is the bedrock of any project or institution; establishing a new institution, developing an existing one cannot be considered without providing adequate financing, Assistant Undersecretary for Quality and Planning Dr. Walid Al-Falah said in a press statement.
A budget usually covers buildings and equipment, regardless of the human resources, and medical supplies, he said. Therefore, health economics experts have been warning over the past two decades against continuation of the ongoing system of health care.
They noticed the rapid and non-stop rising health care costs worldwide, and expect a crisis resulting from inadequate financing of medical services if the current system carries on.
Referring to the financial status of health care in Kuwait, Al-Falah said that the budget rose from KD 625 million in the fiscal year 2007-2008 to KD 1.8 billion in 2014-2015, a rise of about three folds.
The Health Ministry is currently working on many construction projects and is planning several more for the future to enhance hospital bed capacity from 7,000 at present to 15,000, the ministry's assistant undersecretary said.
Once these projects are completed, the Ministry will need a rise in its budget worth KD 3 billion to KD 3.5 billion, which will throw a huge burden on the state budget, he said.
For Al-Falah, it is then urgent to conduct a rapid reform of the health sector, restructuring medical institution and developing the relevant laws. (end) shd.msa