Kuwait shuts its doors to expats with diabetes, high-BP

Kuwait is set to stop offering residency permit to expatriates suffering from cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and numerous other non-infectious diseases, Al Watan newspaper reported.

For the first time the country has banned people with non-infectious diseases from entering the state.

List includes many other diseases including renal failure, vision problems and squinting.

Other diseases include Aids, Herpes, Hepatitis B and G, Malaria, Leprosy, Syphilis, Tuberculosis, and Gonorrhea.

The new law is an effort to reduce expat health costs, Step feed reported quoting the Arabic daily Al Watan.



The Kuwait's Ministry of Health has released a list of 22 disorders, leaving people ineligible to apply for permanent residence status.

Majida Al Qattan, assistant undersecretary for general health affairs in the country's ministry of health confirmed the news saying it came in line with a GCC council decision dating back to 2001.

https://twitter.com/momentsmena/status/971475573334794240

The aim behind the decision is to reduce the costs of expat health care on the country's government also to make sure that expats arriving in the state are fit to work.

According to sources, the recent move was set to be criticized by international human rights organisations for being unusual in banning people from entering countries because of non-infectious diseases.

Last year, only the expat health fees were increased.

"Ministry announces expat health fees increase today" (KUWAIT TIMES)https://t.co/EEqxmm2TaN #Kuwait #Health

— Arab Dev't Portal (@arabdevtportal) January 18, 2017

Kuwait's Health Minister, Sheikh Dr Basel Al Sabah said the increased health fees were now being reviewed "as they were imposed based upon a government proposal not a parliamentary one."



The article originally appeared in Step Feed.