Ministry of Health (MoH) has launched a new initiative that would allow public sector workers to apply online for medical leave and other medical reports.
Revealing the new service, the Director of Central Department for Initial Care in Ministry of Health, Dr. Rihab Al-Watyan said that applications for medical leave and other reports could be sent through a new app that could be downloaded to smartphones.
She explained that sick employees must go to the clinic where they will receive a username and password. They could then use the app to send the application for a medical report or a medical leave.
The medical leave would then be authenticated via a QR code, and the signature of a doctor or the head of the clinic will not be required. Dr. Al-Watyan indicated that this app is currently in the testing phase for a period of three months in clinics of the Capital governorate, as well as at the Amiri Hospital. She added that the app would then automatically interface with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) and all other relevant institutions in Kuwait.
It will be recalled that the Ministry of Interior (MoI) had earlier decided to impose a KD1 fee for certifying medical leave issued by private hospitals and clinics to employees of the public sector. The MoI is reportedly coordinating with the CSC to issue a circular in this regard to all state institutions.
In its earlier notification, the MoI had said that all medical leaves would need to be certified by the medical council of the Ministry of Health, and that uncertified sick leave will not be considered and the employee will be recorded as absent.
The MoI added that the step was aimed at bringing an end to the manipulation of the facility and the phenomenon of fake sick leaves, especially after noting a huge number of sick leaves being issued by private hospitals and medical centers in the last two years, including providing sick leave certificates on payment of a certain amount of money.
The sources affirmed that the ministry is working on specifying bank accounts for private hospitals and medical centers to enter the sick leaves directly in the automated system linked to the integrated systems through which the sick leaves will be audited and certified.
It is not clear at the moment, how the online app would align with the MoI decision.
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