Kuwait



Although tiny, Kuwait sits on almost one-tenth of the world’s known crude oil reserves, and boasts a per capita GDP of $52,800 – the seventh highest in the world. But this petrodollar-fueled market is off-limits for used medical device dealers.

For the industry, it’s actually a double whammy. First, the country frowns on imports of many used goods: not only is used medical equipment banned, but so are cars more than five years old and even secondhand clothing. While domestic trade in used and refurbished medical equipment is legal, there’s a second problem: Kuwait’s Ministry of Health has a standing order preventing any public health institutions under its control from buying used medical goods, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce. And public health institutions make up 90 percent of the health care market in the country, including six major hospitals and 72 primary care centers, as well as close to a dozen specialized health centers focusing on allergies, burns, mental disorders, maternity and neurosurgery. In the words of a recent commerce post report cabled to Washington: “Used/refurbished equipment does not have a market in Kuwait.”

More Industry Headlines