Nearly BD4mpaid by expats for public healthcare in three years

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

Nearly BD4 million was collected from non-Bahraini patients at government health facilities over the past three years, according to figures released by the Health Ministry.

In a written reply to MP Mahmoud Fardan, the ministry said BD3,518,787 was collected from non-Bahraini patients at government hospitals between January 2023 and October 2025. A further BD469,201 was generated from non - Bahraini visitors to primary healthcare centres between January 2023 and December 2025, bringing the total to BD3,987,988.

The ministry said 343,262 non-Bahraini patients fell outside the scope of fee exemptions during the period under review. Of these, 276,234 attended clinics and emergency departments at government hospitals between the beginning of 2023 a n d O c t o b e r 2025.

Primary healthcare centres recorded 67,028 visits by non-Bahrainis from 2023 to December 2025.

In addition, 47,105 non-Bahraini patients were admitted to government hospitals as inpatients between January 2023 and October 2025.

Over the past three years, a total of 258,765 cases were granted exemptions from healthcare service fees. This included 45,951 cases linked to government hospitals and 212,814 related to primary healthcare centres.

The ministry said exemptions are granted either under legal provisions or on humanitarian grounds. Eligible categories include a foreign wife of a Bahraini man and a foreign husband of a Bahraini woman, provided they are actual residents of the Kingdom. Widows and divorcees of Bahraini spouses may also qualify, subject to the same residency condition.

Exemptions can also extend to children of Bahraini women married to non-Bahrainis, citizens of Gulf Cooperation Council countries, emergency cases classified under approved guidelines, inmates of reform and rehabilitation centres, stateless individuals born and residing in Bahrain, Bahraini newborns aged one to two months whose passports have not yet been issued, and government employees covered by the Civil Service Law along with their family members, provided they hold permanent residence.