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History of Occupational Therapy in Kuwait

The specialty is considered new in the State of Kuwait as it started in the early eighties with the establishment of the first department in the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Hospital by a physical Mrs. Amal Al-Maghrebi who is a physical therapist. she worked along with three occupational therapists (two from India and one from east Europe)

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Due to the lack of occupational therapy specialists in Kuwait, the first batch of Kuwaiti students was sent out in 1991 by the Ministry of Higher Education, and they were employed after their graduation in 1998. Then the specialty began to gradually expand and many departments were established including neurology, children (pediatrics), mental health, hand therapy, and burns in addition to specialized clinics such as dysphagia, seating and assistive technology. ​

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Starting from the year 2001 AD, 4 Kuwaiti specialists were sent by Kuwait University to complete their postgraduate studies in the United States of America. Then, after obtaining a Ph.D., they began to work on establishing a curriculum compatible with the Arab culture and consistent with international standards.

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Then, in the year 2009 AD, the department at Kuwait University received international academic recognition, and the first batch of students was accepted then they graduated in 2013, the number of therapists is continually increasing as a new batch is graduating every year.

Occupational Therapy education in Kuwait University

Occupational Therapy discipline is one of the important majors in Faculty of Allied Health Sciences, Kuwait University. It takes four and half years of study.

 

The total numbers of credit hours required to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Occupational Therapy will be 128. The first year of the program consists of basic sciences and English language. The core Occupational Therapy courses and related discipline modules are taken in the second, third and fourth year. These include courses in Neuroscience, Hand therapy, Mental health, Pediatrics, Geriatrics, and Ergonomics. From the third year, students will apply their academic learning in clinical settings (hospitals and clinics) provided by the Ministry of Health under the supervision of qualified Occupational Therapists. In addition, the last semester will be a clinical fieldwork.

How to get to our services?

The situation differs depending on the residence health area of the individual:

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  • The individual has to go to the clinic of the health area where he will be
    referred to general hospital.

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  • Individual will be checked up by a doctor who refers him to a specialist doctor.

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  • Individual’s name will be enrolled in our waiting list.

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  • One of our specialists will call to arrange for an interview when an individual’s turn comes.

Where can you find us in Kuwait?

You can find us in many governmental hospitals and private centers. The hospitals include:

  • Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Hospital (PMR)​

  • Ibn Sina Hospital​

  • Kuwait Center for Mental Health (KCMH)​

  • Al-Babtain Hospital for Burns​

  • Jaber Al-Ahmad Hospital​

  • Al-Razi Hospital​

  • National Bank of Kuwait Hospital​

  • Al-Adan Hospital​

  • Farwaniya Hospital​

  • Al-Jahra Hospital​

  • Al-Amiri Hospital​

  • Mubarak Hospital​

 

You can find their locations on the map

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