KUWAIT, 11 January — The health ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council states agreed yesterday on the need to find alternative sources of finance for medical services such as implementing a health insurance system or charging fees for medical services.
These recommendations were issued at the conclusion of the 50th conference of the GCC health ministers after two days of talks.
Kuwaiti Health Minister Dr. Muhammad Al-Jarallah, who chaired the meeting, told a press conference that financing of health services was a major topic of discussion.
The ministers agreed to seek alternative sources of income for health services in the GCC countries thus freeing resources and cutting expenditure and identified health insurance or fees as possible solutions.
He said that such steps would help maintain the same level of health services in the GCC countries.
Al-Jarallah said that the meeting was informed by the Saudi experience in dealing with Rift Valley Fever and the way Saudi authorities utilized the media to make residents aware of the fever.
The minister agreed to form a working group in Kuwait to study a strategy on combating diabetes, one in Qatar for combating cardiovascular diseases and one in Kuwait for fighting cancer.
Regarding combating smoking, Al-Jarallah said that the ministers decided to continue the anti-smoking campaigns and to increase taxes on cigarettes from 100 to 150 percent .
The two-day conference discussed fighting diabetes, cancer, heart disease and smoking, examining the foreign work-force, Arabization of medicine, health insurance, a health educational program and unified drug purchasing methods. (KUNA)
