KUWAIT: Kuwait is the only Arab country that directly designates the Ministry of Health to provide health care in places of detention, said Coordinator of the International Committee of the Red Cross' (ICRC) protection department Ralph Wehbe yesterday. Wehbe in statement during the second GCC workshop on health care in detention held recently in Kuwait praised the unique and leading experience of Kuwait in this regard.

The ICRC is carrying out its own activities in places of detention in Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar, under bilateral agreements with the relevant authorities, pointing out that it has been working in Kuwait since the Gulf War (1990-1991). He also said that the ICRC's regional delegation covers the needs of the GCC countries resulting from war, armed conflicts and ongoing violence in the region.

Meanwhile, Dr Feras Abu Samra, a doctor in charge of health in detention at the ICRC said the workshop aims to exchange experiences and discuss common challenges in dealing with some issues related to psychological health in detention, adding that this workshop came after the first workshop which was held in Kuwait in November 2014. - KUNA