In line with nation-building efforts, a seven-member parliamentary committee responding to rising complaints against health ministry, has shown its “vision”. Since we Bahrainis pay for medical treatment in expatriate countries, they should pay too in Bahrain.
The health ministry issues a card to expatriate wives of Bahrainis entitling them to “limited” free medical services – like consultancy, general medicines but not tests like CT scans, ultrasound, treadmill etc. On this card, expatriate wives get, for example, free general medicines like for cholesterol, blood pressure etc from health centres. But when the same wives visit Salmaniya Medical Complex emergency and are prescribed very essential medicines (if not truly life saving) that are immediately needed, the same are refused by the pharmacy!
Expatriate wives are shown the door to outside signalling “walk to the market pharmacy” whereas such medicines are needed for immediate dispensation then and there.
What is the wisdom if the same single card works at one place and not the other, whereas both places are under the control of the same authority issuing the card. Only our health ministry wizards can understand.
Can this old Bahraini propose to the honourable committee not just to cancel all such cards, which are a burden on the state as patients in this category are “expatriate” wives, but also impose VAT on these expatriate wives, including mine, as these expatriate wives in Bahrain enjoy free food etc while Bahraini wives in their country pay for theirs.
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