Kuwait Authority for People with Disabilities Refers Its Patients to the Courts!
When a citizen approaches the Authority with a medical file, years of treatment reports, and hopes for a fair assessment of his condition, he may leave with a rejection decision that lacks a clear explanation or convincing justification. He then hears the now-familiar phrase: “If you don’t like the decision… go to court.” What message does the Authority send to people with disabilities? Has the judiciary become merely another stage in the work of medical committees? And if the first recourse is the court, what is the purpose of having administrative appeal and review stages?
It is even more harsh that this reality affects patients suffering from chronic neurological diseases, most notably multiple sclerosis. This disease cannot be measured by a single scan or test; it is a chronic, fluctuating autoimmune condition whose symptoms change over time, affecting both body and mind. Many patients live daily with exhaustion, anxiety, and fear of relapse and loss of the ability to lead a normal life. My message to the medical committees: Do you realize that your rejection decision does not end with your signature? Do you know that a multiple sclerosis patient may leave the committee feeling that years of suffering have been reduced to a few minutes? Do you understand that an unexplained or unclear decision may exacerbate the psychological pressures the patient already faces, negatively impacting his quality of life and health status? We are not demanding approval for all requests, as that would not be fair. Rather, we demand fair decisions, clear reasoning, genuine case reviews, and an independent appeals committee before patients are pushed into courtrooms. Medical decisions must be understandable and well-reasoned, not merely a document ending with the word “rejected.”
It is only fair to acknowledge that the Authority employs competent and dedicated staff who perform their duties responsibly. However, the success of institutions is not measured by individual performance, but by their ability to correct mistakes, review decisions, and uphold the rights of individuals before they become litigants. If the quickest solution within the Authority is “go to court,” then the problem is no longer with the citizen, but with an administrative system that requires courageous reform. A strong state is not measured by the number of lawsuits filed against it, but by the number of lawsuits it successfully prevents through fair, transparent, and humane management that preserves the dignity of patients before protecting the state’s budget.
