The Ministry of Health (MoH) has finalized the lists of expatriate medical, technical, nursing and administrative staff stranded outside Kuwait, who have been unable to return despite the end of their vacation as a consequence of being in countries on a ban list, reports Al-Jarida daily quoting informed sources from the health sector. Expats from 32 countries are not permitted to enter Kuwait as a measure against the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.
The daily said, quoting sources, that the ministry will soon hand over these lists to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in preparation for the return of these employees to the country. The number of medical staff requested for entry from the Technical Affairs Sector in the ministry, in charge of dealing with the situation of stranded doctors, has reached about 600 so far.
In a recent decision, the MOH has suspended the salaries of doctors, technicians and administrators under their employ who are stranded abroad and whose vacation days have ended while outside Kuwait, starting last month, Al Jarida reports.
The daily said, quoting health sources, that there are thousands of health workers who left the country on February but are unable to return as flights were suspended as the airport suspended its activities mid March to tackle the spread of the new coronavirus, and the inclusion of certain countries on a ban list from where expats can’t enter due to coronavirus health conditions.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced in July that expats and their first degree relatives will be allowed to enter Kuwait via Kuwait International Airport as long as they are under the sponsorship of Ministry of Health (MoH) even if their residency visas has expired.
The DGCA Eng. Youssef Al-Fouzan in a circular issued stated that passengers carrying residency visas under sponsorship of the Ministry of Health, even if expired, it will be extended.
More than 1000 health personnel, who are employed as doctors, nurse, radiology technicians and laboratory staff were stranded abroad, most of them from India.
On the request of the Ministry of Health, arrangements were made to facilitate the entry of medical staff who are currently working in Kuwait.
