Kuwait: Over 38,000 expats in government health jobs

Kuwait: Over 38,000 expats in government health jobs

Cairo: More than 38,000 foreigners are being employed by Kuwait’s Health Ministry and their employment is crucial due to expansion in medical services in the country, according to a senior Kuwaiti official. In recent years, Kuwait has stepped up efforts to create jobs for its citizens and replace foreign employees as part of policy dubbed “kuwaitisation”. Kuwaiti Health Minister Ahmad Al Awwadi has put the current number of expatriate workers at the ministry at 38,549, mostly working in medical, technical and support specialties. “There is a big need for them in view of expansions in hospiral buildings and an increase in medical services,” he was quoted by Almajilis news portal as saying. Answering a parliamentary question, the minister said the Health Ministry over the past five years has implemented the “Kuwaitisation” plan based on timetables set by the country’s state employment agency, the Civil Service Commission, pertaining to numbers of non-Kuwaiti workers to be replaced with citizens. Foreigners make up nearly 3.4 million of Kuwait’s overall population of 4.6 million. In recent months, there have been increasing calls in Kuwait for curbing foreigners’ employment along accusations that migrant workers have strained the country’s infrastructure facilities amid economic repercussions from the