Keep one file per patient, holding every examination, result, diagnosis, treatment and device, and a register of all patients on paper or electronically. Decision No. 36 of 2024 lets paper files be replaced by electronic copies after five years and asks that electronic records be kept indefinitely.
What the patient file holds
Article 28 of Law No. 70 of 2020 says every patient has a file at the facility that treated them, recording the procedures, examinations and tests, their results and diagnoses, the treatment and advice given, follow-up visits, and any device fitted or used in the body. Article 22 asks that every prescription, report and certificate carries the doctor's name, title, level, employer, date and time and signature, with a copy kept on the file.1
How long, and in what form
Article 60 asks each facility for a register and database of its patients, written or electronic, protected from damage and loss. Decision No. 36 of 2024 allows paper files and reports to be replaced by electronic copies five years after each document's date, provided every electronic document is kept, however long that is. The facility links electronically with the Ministry when asked to, for the electronic file, radiology, pharmacy and other data.2
| Record | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Patient file | One per patient, complete | Law No. 70, Article 28 |
| Prescriptions, reports, certificates | Named, timed, signed, copy on file | Law No. 70, Article 22 |
| Patient register | Written or electronic, protected | Law No. 70, Article 60 |
| Paper to electronic | After 5 years, electronic kept indefinitely | Decision No. 36 of 2024, Article 19 |
| On closure | Files to the Health Licensing Department on electronic media within 6 months | Decision No. 36 of 2024, Article 19 |
| Hiding or destroying a file | Up to 5 years in prison and KWD 10,000 | Law No. 70, Article 69 |
- One record per patient. One identity behind every visit, so nothing sits in a second file.
- Sign and time everything. Notes, prescriptions, reports and certificates, each with the doctor's name and the time.
- Keep the transcript beside the note. So the source of every line can be read back.
- Log every access. Who read or changed a record, and when, against a named account.
- Set the retention rule. Electronic records kept indefinitely, paper scanned after five years if you choose.
- Plan for closure. A route to hand every patient their file, and the department its copy within six months.
- Record system ______ Hosted in ______
- Patient files held as ______ (paper, electronic, both)
- Paper files scanned after ______ years (5 minimum)
- Access log reviewed by ______ every ______
- Copy requests answered within ______ days, fee on approved price list ______
- Closure plan owner ______
Questions
Can a Kuwait clinic keep records only electronically?
Yes. Article 60 accepts a written or electronic file, and Decision No. 36 of 2024 lets paper be replaced after five years if the electronic copy is kept indefinitely.
Can a patient have a copy of their file?
Yes. On a written request, the patient may have a detailed or short report, and copies of results, treatment and their bills, under Article 28.
Where does wai keep a Kuwait clinic's records?
In its own country, under that country's rules, so a Kuwait clinic's records are hosted in Kuwait. We set this up with you before go-live.
Sources
- 1Medical Responsibility Authority, Kuwait, 2020Law No. 70 of 2020 on the practice of medicine and its allied professions, patients' rights and health facilities, full Arabic textRead source
- 2Kuwait Ministry of Health, published by the Medical Responsibility Authority, 2024Ministerial Decision No. 36 of 2024 amending the regulation of requirements and controls for licensing private health facilitiesRead source
Written by the wai team from Kuwait's Ministry of Health guidance, checked on 16 October 2026. This is guidance, not legal advice. Kuwait MOH does not endorse wai or any software.