The Ministry of Health announced that Minister Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadi signed Decree No. 220/2026 to regulate surgical procedures and medical interventions across public and private facilities. The decree mandates that scheduled elective surgeries must be carried out by doctors at the specialist level or above with assistant-level registered physicians and residents barred from performing such operations independently. It further requires documented informed consent from patients along with full disclosure of the surgical team members prior to any procedure. The Ministry of Health added that all actions must be recorded in both patient files and dedicated surgical logs to ensure transparency and accountability.
According to the Ministry of Health the rules prioritize emergency cases over elective ones and insist on appropriate post-operative care for every patient. Physicians encountering complications during surgery are directed to seek immediate assistance from senior colleagues rather than proceeding alone. The decree also prohibits a single surgeon from conducting two operations simultaneously unless an urgent necessity arises with all such exceptions subject to later review. Monthly assessments by surgical departments and random sample follow-ups form additional layers of oversight outlined in the text.
This measure forms part of wider healthcare reforms that the Ministry of Health has advanced throughout 2026. A separate mechanism approved in July 2026 by Undersecretary Sheikh Dr. Salman Al-Sabah clarified professional boundaries for doctors pharmacists and allied staff under Law No. 70 of 2020 on medical practice and patient rights. The Ministry of Health strategy aims to reach a ratio of 46 doctors per 10 000 residents by 2035 up from earlier baselines around 20 per 10 000 according to ministry planning documents.
Licensing updates introduced earlier in the year by the Ministry of Health now require specialists and consultants to complete structured oral interviews with ministry panels after passing Prometric exams. These steps seek to elevate overall clinical standards and reduce variability in care delivery. The Ministry of Health has separately resumed full surgical operations at all facilities following earlier disruptions underscoring the priority placed on consistent service availability.
Decree No. 220/2026 reinforces existing patient-rights legislation and aligns with parallel licensing reforms that tightened qualification thresholds for non-Kuwaiti medical staff. The Ministry of Health indicated that facilities must maintain clear separation between clinical duties and administrative tasks to prevent overburdening of qualified physicians. Compliance monitoring will fall under the ministry’s established inspection frameworks with violations subject to existing disciplinary protocols.
