Kuwaiti doctor Mubarak Abdullah Alasousi caused quite the stir on Twitter over the weekend.
This came after Alasousi questioned the Gulf state's 2017 decision to increase all public health fees for expats.
In a tweet shared with the public on Friday, the young doctor wrote:
"A worker whose salary is 120 KD ($395) suffered a severe stomach ache and needed a CT (Computerized Tomography) scan. How do you expect him to pay 80 KD ($263) for it, noting this excludes expenses for other tests or a stay in the hospital?"
Just hours after the post was uploaded, many Twitter users began debating the issue online. It was also shared by numerous local Twitter news pages.
The tweet that sparked a debate:
A heated conversation soon followed
Some were against Alasousi's point of view
"His embassy can pay, what's the problem with that? Why is our government expected to pay for these expenses?"
And defended their stance on the matter ...
"He can live like he used to in his home country. At least in Kuwait we don't tax people. If I was the one who got sick in their country and didn't have money, do you think they'd treat me for free? As soon as they realize I am from the Gulf, my treatment expenses will triple."
Many were all for the doctor's argument
"There are people who don't care if an expat dies, just because they want public hospitals to be uncrowded."
"Now someone will come up and say: Let him go get treatment in his country"
"Have mercy on human beings."
A few were outraged by some of the racist responses to the tweet
"A worker is employed in jobs we refuse to do, if he goes back home, half our lives will come to a halt. If we can't live without them (expat workers) at home, do you think we can in general? No one said increase their salaries or treat them for free, but bring down these costs or force their employers to insure them."
Others tried to find solutions
"Our health ministry must justly categorize the expenses expats are forced to pay. It's not fair that a worker whose salary is 120 KD ($395) has to pay the same fees as a consultant who gets 4000 KD ($13,187)."
"Our government shouldn't issue a residency for an expat who isn't medically insured"
"Every employer has to be forced to pay for an all inclusive insurance plan for every worker they hire."
The decision to increase expat health fees has long divided opinions in Kuwait
This certainly isn't the first time Kuwait's increase in expat health fee sparks a debate.
At the time of its implementation in 2017, the decision was widely criticized by many nationals and expats who labelled it unjust.
The fee hike came after several parliamentarians argued that since the Gulf state's oil revenues are dropping, it could no longer afford providing health care to expats for low prices or for free.
Some also said that given that 70 percent of the country's population is made up of expats, the move would help reduce the load on its health services.
Even though the move is still being applied, Kuwait's Health Minister, Sheikh Dr. Basel Al-Sabah, said the increased health fees will be reassessed "as they were imposed based upon a government proposal not a parliamentary one."