Legislators have unanimously approved a proposal calling for an increase in fees for services provided to non-Bahraini workers and visitors at public hospitals – aligning them with more expensive private sector rates.
The measure, submitted by five MPs led by Strategic Thinking Bloc spokesman MP Khalid Bu Onk, was endorsed during the Parliament session yesterday. It has now been referred to the Cabinet for review.
The proposal seeks to ensure that expatriates pay fees that are closer to the actual cost of the services they receive in public hospitals, again attempting to ease pressure on government healthcare facilities and helping to rationalise public expenditure.
Mr Bu Onk said while Bahrain offers some of the region’s most affordable medical services, the low fee for expatriates and visitors have created major financial and operational challenges.
“Many non-Bahrainis are benefiting from a wide range of medical services at government hospitals by paying as little as BD7 for emergency cases, with some even pretending to faint to get quicker access,” Mr Bu Onk alleged.
“Some people even come to Bahrain specifically for these low-cost treatments. In maternity services, for example, they pay BD150, while the real cost of the service exceeds BD1,000! This places an unfair burden on the state and on citizens waiting for care.”
Mr Bu Onk added that the proposal is vital to ensure public hospitals prioritise citizens while maintaining high-quality services for all.
“Our goal is not exclusion,” he stressed, “but to ensure that services are provided responsibly and sustainably, without compromising citizens’ rights or straining the health budget.”
The explanatory memorandum attached to the proposal outlines four main objectives: rationalising public spending, reducing pressure on government facilities, ensuring financial sustainability, and redirecting Health Ministry resources towards national priorities such as preventive care and citizen-focused projects.
Parliament’s services committee chairman MP Mamdooh Al Saleh backed the proposal, highlighting the strain on major public hospitals ‘due to the high volume of non-Bahraini patients’.
“Hospitals such as Salmaniya Medical Complex and King Hamad University Hospital are overcrowded with expatriates who pay BD7 for services,” Mr Al Saleh said.
“This overcrowding delays care for Bahraini patients, including emergency cases, who are left waiting for beds, check-ups and treatments. Adjusting the fees will restore balance and improve service quality.”
Mr Al Saleh believes the proposal would encourage residents and visitors to make greater use of private healthcare providers who are equipped to serve them.
However, his committee vice-chairman MP Abdulwahid Qarata offered a measured perspective, pointing out that many expatriates were now covered under health insurance schemes that direct them to the private sector rather than government facilities.
“Most expatriates already have health insurance and are using the private sector, which has eased the situation to some extent,” Mr Qarata noted.
“Nevertheless, the proposal remains important to ensure continued financial sustainability and fairness in healthcare provision.”
Despite his observation, Mr Qarata voted in favour of the measure, joining all other MPs in its unanimous approval.
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