KUWAIT CITY, March 24:  The foreign workers in Kuwait continue to suffer due to the health insurance scheme and rising cost of living, particularly the soaring rents, tuition fees in private schools and air ticket prices, reports Al-Shahed daily quoting sources.

Sources said the health insurance system is a positive step and one of the basic services in civilized societies, especially since it guarantees proper treatment for citizens and additional income for the country.

However in Kuwait, it has become a burden to foreign workers with limited income, because they are forced to pay for the health insurance without getting any benefit.  They are not entitled to free medical treatment and some essential medicines, which they can buy only in private pharmacies at exorbitant prices, sources added.

The government has announced its plan to build private hospitals and clinics for those paying health insurance and this news brought hope to the foreigners, who believe this is a step towards guaranteeing their right to receive proper treatment, sources revealed.

Meanwhile, Ibrahim, an expatriate who works for Aliya Company, complained the living condition is getting worse everyday and foreigners are forced to pay the health insurance annually for all the family members residing in the country, yet it is useless because whenever they seek treatment at any hospital, they still pay certain fees, which vary according to the health condition of the patients.

Mahmood Askar, another expatriate who works in the construction field, lamented it is not fair that foreign employees are obliged to pay for something they do not use, especially those like him who has no fixed salary.  He revealed his sponsor does not shoulder part of his insurance fees, making life more difficult for him.

In the meantime, Rudaina Ibrahim, also a foreign worker, disclosed she was pleased when she heard about the government’s plan to revise the health insurance system.  She believes this move will end the discrimination that foreigners face when availing health benefits.  However, she was surprised after discovering the insurance fee will be increased to KD 130, which is an additional financial burden since the sponsors do not shoulder even a certain percentage of the insurance cost.

Ali Hamed, an employee in a security company, explained the problem is the lack of supervision in the implementation of the existing Insurance Law, so the foreign workers have no access to the best healthcare program.  He suggested the sponsor must pay part of the amount, indicating the new law is difficult to apply because it does not cover a large number of workers in Kuwait.