• Following directives by HRH The Crown Prince and Prime Minister and H.H. Shaikh Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa’s announcement

Following the directives of His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Khalifa, Crown Prince and Prime Minister to increase support for the employment of Bahraini doctors, and the announcement of His Highness Shaikh Isa bin Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Isa bin Salman Education Charitable Trust, and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Labour Fund (Tamkeen) of the biggest support bundle for the healthcare sector, aiming to train and develop over 700 Bahrainis in the sector, The Labour Fund (Tamkeen) held a press conference today announcing the details of this support bundle.

During the press conference the details of the joint agreement between the Supreme Council of Health and Tamkeen to implement the support bundle were announced, which includes five main initiatives. The first two initiatives will support Bahraini doctors in obtaining their Board certification, in cooperation with the Supreme Council for Health, while the third initiative will focus on medical fellowships by supporting Bahraini doctors to join medical fellowship programs to obtain the necessary qualifications in the required medical specialties and become qualified consultants in collaboration with public and private hospitals.

In addition, two initiatives are aimed at nursing and include supporting newly graduated high school students in obtaining nursing bachelor’s degrees in addition to supporting the specialization in nursing for various in-demand specializations such as Midwifery, Intensive Care, Cardiovascular Care, Kidney Diseases and Emergency Care.  

During the conference, His Excellency Dr. Ibrahim Ali Al-Nawakhatha, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Health, said, “This timely announcement, which comes just as the SCE is celebrating its tenth anniversary, is the embodiment of the spirit of partnership in Team Bahrain, which aims to provide training opportunities for Bahraini youth graduating with nursing or medicine degrees.  We extend our gratitude to all partners involved in these initiatives, especially Tamkeen, for their continuous support for initiatives that benefit national talent in the healthcare sector.”

This support bundle is aligned with Tamkeen’s commitment to supporting Bahrainis working in the healthcare sector, which is one of the key economic sectors contributing to the national economy, said Her Excellency Ms. Maha Abdulhameed Mofeez, Tamkeen Chief Executive during the press conference, noting that the sector provides substantial employment opportunities and is currently employing more than 15,800 individuals across various roles and specializations.  

Applications will open for the Resident Doctor Program across two tracks on Monday, 1 July 2024, through the Supreme Council of Health’s website www.sch.org.bh. 

Furthermore, the Supreme Council of Health will announce more details about applications for the Medical Fellowship Program and the support initiative aimed at nursing professionals during the month of August 2024. Available opportunities for bachelor’s degrees in nursing will be included in the Ministry of Education’s scholarship plan.

Tamkeen’s support for the healthcare sector in Bahrain is aligned with its 2024 strategic priorities focused on economic impact and the private sector under three pillars: increasing economic participation through employment opportunities for new market entrants, expanding career development opportunities available to the Bahraini workforce, and further developing the private sector by supporting enterprises and boosting productivity through the adoption of technology.