Kuwait: Health Ministry Introduces Fees for Expats Requiring Blood Transfusions
The Health Ministry issued the clarification to avoid any confusion regarding the collection of fees for blood transfusions. The Kuwaiti Health Minister, Dr Ahmad Al-Awadhi, announced a new decision that requires expatriates, both residents and visitors, to pay fees for blood transfusions. According to the decision, expats in Kuwait will be charged KD 20 for each bag of blood, while expats on a visit visa will be charged KD 40 per bag.
However, the fees will not be collected from expatriate patients in emergencies, urgent cases, cancer patients, children, or other humanitarian cases. Patients who find their own blood donors will also be exempted from the fees.
The decision aims to preserve the state’s strategic blood reserves. Public health facilities will also collect fees from expatriates for up to 37 lab tests related to blood transfusions, ranging between KD 0.5 and KD 15 for expat in Kuwait and KD 5 to KD 70 for expats on visit visas. It’s worth noting that the fees for bags of blood will only be collected from expats undergoing non-emergency scheduled operations.
