Ministry denies misuse of ambulance services

Manama : A senior Health Ministry official has rebuffed the recent media reports that expatriates  were misusing the ambulance services at Salmaniya Medical Complex to avoid paying the increased health care fees.

The reports mentioned that more expatriates were calling ambulance services amidst in the recent increase in healthcare fee from BD3 to BD7, as critical emergency cases are exempted from paying any fees.

In a statement, Health Ministry’s Hospitals Assistant Secretary Dr. Waleed Al Manea, cleared the air by mentioning that there is no increase in number of non-Bahrainis brought to the hospital in ambulance. 

“The higher demand on ambulance service is received from Bahrainis than the expats, which is 78 percent of the daily cases received. The number of non-Bahrainis using the ambulance service is still the same, 22 percent.” Dr Al Manea said.

Moreover, Dr. Al Manea affirmed that “only critical conditions would be exempted from paying the fees”, stressing that “even if brought in by ambulance, minor cases are obliged to pay the charges”.

“One thing should be clarified that if some patients attempt to persuade the authorities and call the ambulance to receive free medical services, they will eventually pay the charges in case their conditions were minor,” Al Manea said. He underlined that “no one would pay for life-saving medical services”.

Also, the official said that the national ambulance project, which links the ambulances of public and private hospitals will  improve ambulance services in the Kingdom.

However, Dr. Al Manea couldn’t confirm when the project will be implemented, adding that it has been delayed.