KUWAIT: Three years after a decision by health ministry to increase delivery fees for expats registered in the health insurance system at government hospitals, medical sources revealed charges will be reconsidered and may increase in light of the pressure facing the maternity hospital, especially since a new maternity hospital is currently under construction.
Sources told Kuwait Times that charges could increase by 50 to 75 percent after a study is completed and approved, pointing out that the final decision of acceptance, rejection or postponement will be clearer at the beginning of the new year. Currently, fees collected from non-Kuwaiti patients registered in the health insurance system, amounts to KD 100 dinars for normal childbirth and KD 150 dinars caesarean section.
The fees for natural or cesarean delivery include delivery charges, ultrasound examinations, laboratory tests and medicines, but not hospital stay. For instance, the fee for a private room is KD 100 per day. “These fees are imposed due to the high costs of health services in terms of medical staff and equipment, as well as a wide gap in delivery fees between the government and private sectors,” the sources explained.
“The study calls to separate delivery charges from fees for ultrasound examinations, laboratory tests and medicines, as well as doubling the price of a private room,” the sources added. It is estimated that the total number of births at health ministry hospitals exceeds 20,000 annually among expatriates, while those of Kuwaiti women does not exceed 8,000, as most Kuwaitis prefer giving birth at private hospitals.
