KUWAIT: Health Ministry Undersecretary Dr Mustafa Redha submitted his resignation effective Sept 2 for personal reasons less than two years into her term. Redha was appointed to his position on Feb 21, 2022. He was set to serve in that position for four years. The resignation comes nearly one week after Health Minister Dr Ahmad Al-Awadhi issued three ministerial decisions appointing ministry officials to fill vacant positions within the health ministry.

The decisions took effect as of July 23, 2023. Last April, Awadi appointed at least six other people to fill vacant leadership positions in the ministry as “acting” officials. An acting official is only there to fill the position for a temporary period until a proper replacement is found for an exiting or retiring official.

The phenomenon of hiring acting officials has been rampant in ministries over the past few years, with nearly 2,000 leadership positions vacant across several ministries in late 2022. Critics say that work in multiple government agencies has been hindered due to these vacancies.