Kuwait has lowest death rate: Al-Ajeel
KUWAIT: Dr Abdullah Mohammed Al-Ajeel, director of the medical statistical analysis department at the Ministry of Health, said yesterday that Kuwait has the lowest death rate worldwide. Al-Ajeel said that the world statistics proved that Kuwait has a death rate of 1.9 per cent for every 1,000 people during the period between 2000 and 2005. He added this was proved by several international publications, such as the World Resources Institute, World in Figures for 2005 and the Top 10 Of Everything for 2006.He indicated that this low percentage is due to the high standard of medical services provided in Kuwait and the presence of a qualified medical staff as well as the high-tech medical devices.
Al-Ajeel said he believed that also the high medical awareness among the citizens and residents, thanks to the campaigns of the Health Ministry, is another reason for the low death rates.According to the lowest death rates agenda published in the World in Figures, the UAE ranked second with 2.4 per cent for every 1,000 persons, followed by Bahrain with 2.4 per cent, then Oman with 3.3 per cent and Qatar and Saudi-Arabia in sixth place with 3.7 per cent. - Kuna
This is typical of the rubbish provided by official spokespersons and published in media in this part of the world. We have the lowest death rate in the world… so the Ministry of Health to justify its existence has to announce that it must be because the country has the most advanced medical services in the world... This rather contradicts with experience on the ground. If you live in Kuwait you will know that medical services aren’t as good as they’re cracked up to be – why else would the royals always go abroad for medical treatment, or pay for treatment for citizens abroad? In fact according to a world ranking on health system performance, in 1997 Kuwait only ranked 45th in the world.
Let’s surmise the real reasons for a low death rate, (asuming this is in fact true)... Could it be that non-citizens are shipped back to their countries of origin when their useful working lives are over? With a quick bit of analysis on the web you will find that Kuwait ranks second in the world for the proportion of the population aged between 15-64. However, Kuwait is ranked 192 out of 193 countries, ie. 2nd last, for the proportion of the population aged 65 years and over. Mystery solved - if you don't have many old people, then it's no surprise that there's a low death rate!
Some other really interesting stats from the same website:
Kuwait is 3rd in the world for CO2 emissions per capita, which is no surprise, but is in last place for the number of prisoners per capita… that’s quite surprising given all those recalcitrant maids, drivers, labourers, et al. I suspect there’s some fudging of the numbers by the Ministry of the Interior. On a positive note, in the same day, the Kuwait Times reported the following:
Small motorcade
KUWAIT: Informed sources revealed that HH the Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad has asked that only two cars accompany him when he moves about the country, rather than a large security motorcade. Sources said troops from the Amiri Guard went to his Salwa residence to accompany him to Bayan Palace which surprised the Amir, as no order had been given to that effect.
Good to see that the new Amir is a bit more ‘down to earth’. I hear he’s also canned the hordes of Amiri guards outside the palace and the horn blast to announce his arrival and departure which, as a staff member who I hope doesn't mind me quoting, said “…I felt like I was in an English castle in the middle ages!”
