Kuwait links public-school sick leave to Sahel app, removing need for paper submissions
Parents of public-school students in Kuwait no longer need to carry paper sick notes between clinics and classrooms. On May 5 in Kuwait City, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education launched an electronic system that links student sick leave certificates to government databases via the unified services application Sahel.
Under the new process, certificates issued by government hospitals and health centers are handled electronically in line with approved regulations and transmitted automatically to the Ministry of Education. Schools receive the certificates directly and link them to student records, while parents get instant confirmations through the Sahel app—removing the need for paper documents or manual submission.
Health Minister Dr. Ahmed Al-Awadhi said the system is built on an advanced digital infrastructure designed to uphold governance, data confidentiality and accuracy. It streamlines procedures by eliminating multiple administrative steps that previously fell to parents.
“Now, parents only need to take the student to the health center, and the entire process is completed digitally,” he said, calling the project “a qualitative leap” in service delivery and a sign of Kuwait’s readiness for fully integrated digital government services.
He added that the ministry is expanding digital connectivity with other state institutions to improve user experience and service quality. Education Minister Sayed Jalal Al-Tabtabai said the initiative reflects deep institutional cooperation between the two ministries and builds on earlier joint digital projects, including the student registration system.
He said the integration supports a unified, efficient government service ecosystem focused on students and parents, improving speed, accuracy and administrative efficiency in schools. He praised ministry staff and the Sahel application as key to streamlining communication with users, describing the system as a successful model of intergovernmental collaboration.
With the integration now in place, sick leave certificates for public-school students are processed end-to-end within government systems, with parents notified through Sahel. Officials said this is part of a broader push to expand Kuwait’s digital services across sectors.