KUWAIT: Private hospitals in Kuwait are not allowed to receive blood donations, and instead the Ministry of Health supplies them with their needs of blood, Health Minister Sheikh Dr Bassel Al-Sabah said. In an answer to a question by MP Salah Khorsheed regarding the blood bank and its branches, he said the ministry is aware that private hospitals charge KD 23 to KD 40 for units of blood. Sheikh Bassel said the ministry provides private hospitals with blood at their request for fixed prices as follows: Blood bag for KD 20; plasma bag for KD 10; one unit of platelets for KD 10; and a platelet bag with 6 units for KD 60.

 

Such prices are considered as nominal, because blood is used for emergency treatment, while the private medical sector bears the expenses of matching and transferring blood from and to the blood bank. He said the strategic reserve makes up one third of the general stock of all blood groups so it does not drop below 350 units, and this reserve is prepared to meet Kuwait's needs in case of catastrophes and emergencies.

 

Meanwhile, Sheikh Dr Bassel Al-Sabah said the ministry pays proper attention to financial and administrative discrepancies reported by the Audit Bureau. He said in an answer to MP Mohammad Hayef's inquiries about measures taken towards certain violations that a committee was formed to investigate them.

 

Jobseekers

 

The number of citizens looking for jobs and registered at the Manpower Public Authority, Manpower and Government Restructuring Program (MGRP) and the state's executive apparatus has risen to 13,070 citizens, 6,023 of whom are university graduates. Recent statistics show that MGRP managed to find jobs for all PhD holders registered, while 95 Master's degree holders and 2,114 diploma holders remain unemployed.

 

About the rest of education qualifications that are awaiting appointment, the number of secondary certificate holders is 1,127 of those who have attended courses of two years or more, 143 with a two-year course and 778 without courses, besides 1,815 intermediate certificate holders with various experiences. The number appointed in the government from the start of this year is 499 citizens, while last year ended at 6,257, with 1,547 appointed in the private sector from January until April 26, 2018.

 

By A Saleh