Kuwait City - Post Report Question and Answers
Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
Medical care is decent here. You can find almost any specialist you need. A lot of expats option to have babies here. I guess very extreme conditions would require medical evacuation. - May 2023
With the air quality, people who have asthma made have a harder time. I have had no personal experience with serious injury. I had some dental work done, and the dentist seemed very heavy-handed. - Apr 2022
Air quality can be terrible sometimes. Hospital facilities are excellent, the doctors are OK. - Feb 2020
Air quality can be very bad. Dust, oil refineries, and general pollution. Some days you'll look out and think it's foggy and then realize that it's dust. It also rains dirt here which is gross and very messy. Medical is very very good here. We opted to have a major surgery done on our three- year old here, instead of going back to the U.S., and it was a great decision for our family. Dental is also very good here, but it can be pricey. - Nov 2018
The air quality is not very good. Its very dusty and given the oil refineries, etc., the air just does not seem clean. Also, the Gulf is not/not clean at all. - May 2017
The air quality. It's worse than the US. Mostly due to sand storms and petroleum processing. You can find some data at airnow.gov. Having said that, people who might have illness exacerbated by air quality should be aware of this (asthma). Local private medical care is pretty good if you know where to go. The government system can be hit or miss. Again, you need to know where to go. There are many excellent physicians in the government sector. Many medical specialists are available in private practice. In the event of major trauma, care must be provided by the government hospitals. - Mar 2017
Air quality is often dusty and bad for allergies. Car safety is a major concern (many people don't wear seatbelts and drive fast). There are hospitals and clinics, but we would be sent home or to London for anything major. The weather in the summer is unbearably hot. It's almost impossible to be outside at any time of day. - Aug 2016
Good private healthcare. Particular experiences with OBGYN were good. Nice hospitals for birthing etc. - Jun 2015
Decent basic medical care. For any surgery, people go to the US or UK. - Mar 2015
No malaria or yellow fever. I've had some minor injuries and was fixed up fine. do see rich Kuwaitis go to Europe and U.S. for specialized cancer treatments, etc. Lots of foreign specialists sort of parachute through and advertise for a few months and go home. I think sort of luck of the draw if you get real good treatment or real bad treatment for difficult conditions. They do have many modern hospitals, both public and private. Very good socialized medicine for all permanent residents (not just citizens) for the public hospitals and clinics. - Dec 2013
Reasonable health care. - May 2013
Dust storms - they will be worse than you are thinking. There is decent medical care here. We had a baby while we were here and chose to go back to the US to have it. Doctor care here is solid, but there is no comparison with nurses. Kuwait does not even come close to the professionalism and expertise of American nurses. - Feb 2013
Medical care is pretty good. - Jan 2013
Western style medical care, but not up to US standards. Lots of hospitals. Decent care for having a baby, basic surgery. - May 2012
There are a few clinics that have higher reputations, such as International clinic, Hadi Clinic, and many expats deliver children at Royale Hayat hospital in Jabriya. For big emergencies, it's best to go to the government hospital like Mubarak Al-Kabeer. - May 2012
Health care is great in private hospitals, with Western-trained doctors, many who are amenable to alternative medicine. The public hospitals are good for when you don't want care, but need a certificate proving you were sick for work. The cost is only 1KD per visit there, the check-up is cursory, and the certificate is easy to get. - Jan 2012
Many people develop allergies/asthma because of the sand. This is inland. You see many people wearing masks outdoors. Healthcare, at both the International clinic and the government hospital, is excellent. Unfortunately, it looks as though it has not been updated since 1950, and there are no rooms: just wards with no tv. But they don't scrimp on service, especially for americans/brits. Every citizen here has medical care. - Jul 2010
Medical care is readily available and very good. Most doctors were trained either in the UK or the States - Jul 2010
Thankfully, I never had to use the medical care, so I don't know how good it is, but I don't recall hearing great things about it. Not a lot of health concerns, maybe the occasional food poisoning, or cold/flu. Dust storms can be pretty bad and make the air really dirty. Traffic accidents are the big danger here. - Jul 2008
Medical care is hit and miss. I would never want to have a major problem here (no surgery). Good doctors can be found, but it's not easy. And hours are strange: 9-12 and 4:30-11pm. - Jun 2008
