KUWAIT -- The health insurance problem continues, said officials at the Ministry of Health. Originally the MoH used a Health Guarantee System that generated revenues in excess of KD 103 million for the state. Then law 1/59 changed the Health Guarantee System into a health insurance programme that worked with a number of different insurance companies. However, many of the insurance companies borrowed money from the state and never paid it back. "Some of these companies still owe us millions," said one MoH official. Insurance companies owe the Kuwaiti government over KD 6 million.

"We decided to return to the old system, but we had problems with some local banks that totally rejected the whole idea while others demanded an additional fee for providing the service," explained the MoH official.

Under the new system individuals would pay the additional KD 3 fee for each transaction at participating banks, and KD 5 at non-participating banks.

A dispute arose between insurance companies and the MoH when the insurance companies wanted to work on Thursdays. The MoH rejected the plan, extending the business day during the week to make up for not working on Thursdays.

Officials said that centres in Hawally and Farwaniya tend to be more crowded compared to other centres because of the large number of expatriates in those areas. Other centres have also received increased traffic because of bedoons getting new paperwork.

Officials urged people to perform health care transactions for themselves. They added that the ministry's contract with the Insurance Services Company would be valid until 2008, and the company's staff is currently training MoH employees to carry out the required tasks.

The company also increased in size to 100 employees.