KUWAIT CITY, June 25: Given the big difference in the number of Kuwaiti doctors and their non-Kuwaiti colleagues, there has been a drop in this difference to less than 27 percent in the government dental sector, reports Al-Rai daily. The number of local dentists working in the government sector is about 2,450, compared to about 900 non-Kuwaiti doctors, which means that the percentage of Kuwaitis is more than 73 percent compared to less than 27 percent of non-Kuwaitis. As the government dental sector approaches nationalization with the increasing number of national graduates, the gap increases in the private sector in this field, as the number of Kuwaiti doctors in it reaches 150, compared to more than 2,000 non-Kuwaiti doctors.

This means that the percentage of Kuwaiti doctors is not more than six percent, compared to more than 94 percent of non- Kuwaitis. According to health sources, the wide difference in the private sector is due to the low salaries of non-Kuwaitis, and the inability of many Kuwaiti doctors to establish a clinic or center with the financial capabilities, time and great effort required to establish this project at its inception, to face the challenges in terms of operating costs, rental value, equipment, employee salaries and other requirements.

Dentists
The percentage of non-Kuwaiti dentists in the government sector continues to decrease due to a number of reasons, most notably the increasing number of graduates from national elements, especially with the expansion of studying dentistry abroad, in addition to the previous reason related to the reluctance to work in the private sector. The sources said, “Dentistry is the closest medical profession to nationalization in the government sector, as its need for doctors from abroad continues to decrease in conjunction with resignations or the termination of the services of non-Kuwaiti doctors.

In order to continue the nationalization of the government sector, a number of procedures have been adopted in this regard, most notably discussing the regulatory procedures for appointment tests for newly graduated doctors to obtain a license to practice the profession, organizing training courses to qualify doctors who face some challenges in passing the test, and discussing a mechanism for providing them with appropriate training and qualification.”

They highlighted the need to discuss approving the addition of more specializations with regard to the Kuwait Board of Dentists, and increasing the number of admissions annually, in line with the increase in dental services, and empowering national competencies in line with the ministry’s policy aimed at limiting the recruitment of medical personnel from abroad. In this regard, the sources noted the equality of those who obtained the first part of the Kuwaiti board with those who obtained a master’s degree, which serves the segment of dentists.