The post below was written by a friend of mine, a Kuwaiti doctor currently living and working/training in Montreal.
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Recently, posts on twitter and many blogs including this one have featured a text message appearing on peoples phones as a random statement that Mental health facilities are available in Kuwait (pictured above). I’m sure that the idea was a good one, unfortunately there was no information on how to get in contact with people who can help (no email, website or hotline to call).
Like many of you I met these efforts made by the ministry with heckling and criticism. In my eyes this was an imported idea that we just couldn’t get right. Granted, it’s not a major disaster but still it’s just one more thing to complain about (the national sport) and it’s not like people here in Montreal don’t have problems with their hospitals. On the contrary, if you read the papers you’d see that some of these places are nearing bankruptcy, and others are being sold off all together with staged layoffs commencing soon.
People complain in Montreal too, they complain a lot, the difference is that despite all the problems and near disasters they face here, there’s always progress being made.
We can now boast that at the Montreal General Hospital (a level 1 trauma centre) we go from the trauma bay to a whole body CT scan and to the ICU or the operating room in less than 30 minutes. You might assume that this is as a results of care considerate government planning. It isn’t, the Montreal General Hospital relies on non government foundations to provide donations on a regular basis to fund research and buy equipment that the government can’t afford. These include MRI machines, CT scanners and surgical equipment that has made the place a true monument to trauma and emergency surgery.
They don’t just wait for people to donate, they set up funds and activities to provide long term assured income annually. This year their campaign included a “dancing with the docs” event where you could sponsor doctors in a dance off and an annual raffle.
Another hospital has come up with similar events such as annual tennis tournaments and fashion and style events as well as an annual gala that honours their doctors as well as many many others (about three per season). They also have franchises open within the hospital which are obligated to donate annually (the frozen yogurt place beats anything I can find at a hospital cafeteria).
That hospital has become the first robotic cancer surgery (surgical oncology) center in the province and one of the most active in Canada. Some of it is because of the money they donate and make for the hospital but a lot of it is because we can rely on these fantastic volunteers to help moving patients, inspect rooms to make sure they’re clean and take care of elderly patients who can’t take care of them selves.
These foundations are practically built on volunteers led by the CEO of the hospital (every hospital has a CEO to handle the business side of things over here). Some of them provide administrative work, others organize activities and others actually involve themselves with patient care activities such as feeding, pet and animal therapy and patient transport as well as acting as translators throughout the hospital I don’t think these hospitals would be the centres of excellence in their fields if it wasn’t for these community led initiatives.
The generic response would be مالت علينا these people are organized and efficient and our guys can’t even run a small emergency room but the fact of the matter is that progress in hospitals in Montreal isn’t just reliant on doctors, nurses or administrators alone, it comes from the community we service.
Think of how much you and I can do to help our hospitals, maybe we can educate diabetics, help inspect rooms or just set up donation pools and funds to build initiatives and not just giant buildings or buy equipment with no further planning involved.
Trying to do this in Kuwait will take an effort on both parts, hospitals have to be willing to accept donations, volunteers and also train them while on the other hand people have to be committed to making their hospital the best they can. Success in this field is never due to one individual and I’m probably as guilty as you are for neglecting my local hospital when it is clearly in need.
Post written by Saud, a Kuwaiti doctor living and working/training in Montreal. Twitter: @saudnz
23 replies on “It’s not my hospital it’s ours”
parking is a bitch over here.
LOL
I never had parking issues. Parking issues only for idiots who want to park as close to the door as possible.
+100000000000000000000000000000000
clap clap clap clap
You neglected to point out that Canada has a government sponsored healthcare system, much like your country, but the community effort that you point out is not relevant in today’s Kuwait, mainly because of the community’s dependence on government. When the government does not do their job, the community suffers. Is Kuwait ready for social change? Yes, but it will take Kuwaitis like yourself, who’s government has invested in their education overseas and experience, to come back to Kuwait to change this nation. Kuwaitis should be looking at their nation in terms of future generations – it is time for an awaking. It has been decades since any constructed movement has been done in this country in the healthcare system, in major areas such as transportation and development. Major companies come to the region and Kuwait is off the list of business ventures, so how do you expect to attract qualified doctors, nurses, and technicians to live in a nation that is being blasted in the GCC press for attacking expats? You can change your nation, and you have an obligation to do so. It is your responsibility to create this vision you have of developing a positive community that makes the system work for your nation. But without this vision, and without the willpower to rebuild the system, it just won’t happen. I watched seven people in wheel chairs be brought off a Jazeera Airways flight in Dubai last night, who may have been seeking medical care in Dubai, because they all didn’t look well, one man looked as if he was on death’s doorstep, so why is it that Kuwaitis are flying to Dubai for medical care? There are problems with the healthcare system in Kuwait; hopefully people like you will come back to Kuwait to change the system.
“The grass is greener on the other side” and its no different in health care. Some Canadians see it that way with the US and vice versa, go figure.
When would you see change?
When people stop driving like morons on the streets.
Just incase what I’m implying isn’t clear. When people drive better it means attitudes are improving, till then its a moot effort.
No, when people start saying ‘thank you’ and ‘excuse me’ in the grocery store aisles, this country mighit be changing. The level of depression in this nation is overwhelming, in fact, they might as well spray the air with prozac instead of sending out e-mails encouraging people to seek mental health treatment.
Didn’t expect I needed to clarify more after my last sentence but I guess I hate to.
“Just incase what I’m implying isn’t clear. When people drive better it means attitudes are improving, till then its a moot effort.”
When people drive better its due to 2 reasons, fear of the law or they start showing better attitudes. Let me break it even more …
Fear of the law: Excellent, the law starts getting applied to everyone, things get better.
Attitudes improve: Even better. People don’t bully, they are more forgiving, they will right wrongs on their own. They become courteous.
I typed a long post as a response to the OP. I deleted it cuz it will change nothing in the short or medium run. Yes I’m a pessimistic realist.
i dont get any such messages.
What a boring boring boring post. I died a little reading it 🙁
Apologies. I’ll be sure to restrict my slef to 140 characters next time.
Good one 🙂
Maybe they’ll sponsor a hospital.
https://www.dow.com/news/press-releases/article/?id=6225
Volunteers for other money-raising events can be collected at the departure-gate. If you hurry.
Dear Dr. Saud,
With complete respect..
You mentioned community.. what community are you talking about? The Kuwaiti community or expat community that are treated like yesterdays garbage??
In Canada everyone is treated the same. Take your self for example as a Kuwaiti doctor practicing in Canada can you throw your weight around using the ana Kuwaiti line ?? or do you have to work just as hard your colleague next to you to earn the respect of your peers?? Do you get a free ride or get to jump the line because of your nationality when you go for any official work in Canada because of your nationality. When you are sick do you get any medication that is any different from what another would be prescribed had he been suffering the same ailment?? I dont think so. For community to act as one in the interest of the community there has to be communal harmony. And that sir in Kuwait does not exist.
In Canada health care is same for one and all and everyone pays for it. Either through health insurance, medicare or through some other way. BUT everyone pays. There aren’t any free handouts… so there is a vested interest in the community to make sure that the hospitals in their community are the best and that the personnel in these facilities have every possible asset to ensure that the best medical care is given no matter what your nationality, citizen or not, race , religion or color of skin is. Because one day it could be one of them who needs that very same service.So it pays to invest and be a part of any fund raising scheme or volunteering campaign to make the hospital or medical centers better. Also doctors there dont pick an choose their work timings or patients. Its safe to say that doctors in emergency rooms here wouldn’t last a week in the emergency rooms of the West or Europe.
Here in Kuwait its free health care for citizens and subsidized sub standard health care for the Expats.The MOH even goes so as far as to provide proper name branded and tested meds for citizens while providing generic versions for expats. When people in a community are made to feel like shit and second hand commodities how do you expect them to have communal spirit and expect them to give up their valuable time to be volunteers and educate others. They need every second to protect themselves from the onslaught of racially biased laws cropping up every other day with a vendetta to either throw them into the streets, lock them up or deport them without even giving them a chance to defend themselves or for the law consider the circumstances under which the incident occurred.
Would you take the time to help and educate some one who has his heel in your back the whole time treating you like a third class citizen just because you are not from his own. I dont think so. Some one mentioned sponsoring a hospital. There are many self made millionaires among the Indian and Arab communities here in Kuwait do you see them sponsoring any good causes? Its not because they dont want to or cant afford to do so; its because they know in the end it wont be appreciated.. they will still be referred to as hindi or suri or masri or worse. They rather send that money abroad build a hospital in their own community and end up being duly appreciated.
Changes can only come when one changes from within. The so called educated national community that the government has spent oil dinars educating and sending abroad should be the first ones on the streets protesting against any decision that his deemed wrong towards any society not just their own. What good is it to be western educated but in the end not use your knowledge and pretend to be blind. There are only so many days when one can enjoy the fatted calf. Sooner or later the meat will not be enough to go around and then there will be a real reckoning.
Super Like!
The fault is everyones.
Expats of yesteryears have ruined it for today’s community.
What Kuwaitis of yesteryears built have been ruined by today’s Kuwaitis.
No one needs to stay in Kuwait, neither Kuwaitis or expats, anyone can leave, but if they stay it must be due to a gain of some sort and its not necessary a monetary gain.
If I fall sick in the UK I’ll have to pay for it. If I fall sick in Germany I’ll have to pay for it. Do I have to pay for it ? No …. but I’ll get what I pay for (or haven’t).
BTW if I visit Canada and I fall sick, I’ll have to pay if I’m not insured or sponsored.
Brilliant reply! Couldn’t agree more. Their government has sent them overseas, paid for their education, so they need to come back to this country and change the mindset, change the way this country is being run, and take what they have learned overseas and integrate it in their society in order to improve the grave injustices that are occuring in the medical community in Kuwait. Doctors should not be treating patients based on RACE, they should be honoring their hippocratic oath’s and treating patients like human beings. That is not happening in Kuwait and IT IS WRONG.
I know for sure, in my department, neither me nor my colleagues treat anyone based on race, sex, religion, faith, weight, height, education status (keep going) …
Ironically, in the past, I’ve seen expat physicians treat other expats unfairly, go figure :/
Interesting discussion, I’d be more inclined to think that we need a complete overhaul in healthcare, the debate over whether certain healthcare professionals treat people according to race is a topic for another day but it’s interesting how we got here from an article on the role of volunteer work in a hospitals success.
I’d also be a little careful when accusing people who have trained abroad of not applying their training. Alot of the time they aren’t allowed to because they remain registrars upon their return and are not involved in the running or leadership or units and teams, so it’s not their fault.
Dear Dr. Saud,
Your comment,”I’d also be a little careful when accusing people who have trained abroad of not applying their training. Alot of the time they aren’t allowed to because they remain registrars upon their return and are not involved in the running or leadership or units and teams, so it’s not their fault”
So whose fault is it?? Kuwait is supposedly the only GCC sate that has a democratically elected government. So called elected by the citizens for the citizens right?? So why don’t these so called educated national doctors execute their national birth right and the right to free speech and protest against the injustice they face by the bureaucrats who run the Ministry of Health? Why do they not come forward and demand change? Why do they not protest at the fact that they have been trained by the very best universities at the expense of the Kuwaiti Government yet are not allowed to practice what they have been taught?? Why don’t they demand change?? Why does the so called Union of Kuwaiti Doctors remain silent??
Are their voices only good if by some off chance a ministry employed accountant in the finance department were to screw up and they were to get a pay cut?? Is their attitude going to forever remain that off; As long as I get paid and the govt pays my social benefits who gives a rats ass what I work as?? Registrar ya Surgeon who gives a Fuck?? It will still be Dr. before my name right?? With this attitude and the mollycoddling of the Govt. There will never be a change.
Like I said earlier. Change starts from within and progress out wards. The educated national community has the power to initiate change, yet choose to be like the 3 deaf, mute and blind monkeys.
As long as they get their social welfare cheuqes in the mail and the high government enforced citizen based salaries no matter their level of education all is well.
@ wishbone
Your comment, “No one needs to stay in Kuwait, neither Kuwaitis or expats, anyone can leave, but if they stay it must be due to a gain of some sort and its not necessary a monetary gain”
That sir is the most naive thing I have heard so far..
What other reason would one lets say an expat want to stay in Kuwait if not monetary?? Is it Kuwait’s beautiful scenic sights?? Its out of this world tourist attractions? Its expat friendly laws?? Its friendly atmosphere? Its amazing medical care?? An expats fool hardy dream of one day attaining citizenship; Even though generations have been born and died in this country without achieving even permanent residency let alone citizenship?? What other reason sir can you give me other that the excellent tax free remuneration/salries one gets in this this country?
The KD rate against most 3 world countries currency rates and the tax free option for most Europeans, Brits and Americans will always be the reason to stay.
establishing blame may not be the answer. Encouraging change would be. Asking why people need to come back and effectively be demoted for a couple of years might be a good start.
Trying to figure out how to hold people accountable for sweeping decisions that alter the supply of medications, surgical equipment and clinic schedules would be.
The times when people though that all you needed to have a good hospital was a bunch of good doctors is in the past. It takes a whole lot more to make a center of excellence, that was my point in the article.
But I’m glad it stirred up such interesting dialogue.