The Labour Fund (Tamkeen) is now accepting applications for the financing of doctors’ education as part of a comprehensive set of initiatives designed to support medical professionals. Under this latest initiative, Tamkeen will finance doctors looking to pursue advanced academic studies and attain master’s degrees and fellowships in their desired specializations. To accomplish this, Tamkeen will collaborate with a group of partner banks, and has already signed the first agreement with Al Baraka Islamic Bank.
Tamkeen’s financial support covers 100% of the profits of the financing during the grace period and 50% of the profits during the repayment period. Applicants must secure approval from the partner bank after verifying their academic program’s accreditation with the National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA).
Tamkeen’s Chief Executive, Her Excellency Ms. Maha Abdulhameed Mofeez said that this initiative reflects the organization’s dedication to supporting the development of a highly skilled national workforce and encouraging their career development, particularly in promising sectors such as the healthcare industry. This comes as a continuation to the support provided to hospitals and healthcare institutions, which contributes to achieving the development goals in creating job opportunities for Bahrainis and achieving positive impact in the national economy.
The Kingdom of Bahrain’s National Health Regulatory Authority (NHRA) Chief Executive Officer, Dr Mariam Adhbi Al Jalahma, praised Tamkeen’s initiatives to promote the employment of Bahraini doctors and facilitate their professional advancement. She stressed the Authority’s readiness to provide the necessary support to ensure that Bahraini doctors benefit from this initiative by verifying their enrollment in health specialization programs approved by the Authority, which aims to meet the needs of the healthcare sector in the Kingdom of Bahrain by providing qualified national competencies.
On this occasion, The Deputy CEO of Support Group of Al Baraka Islamic Bank Mr. Khaled AlAli said: “At Al Baraka Islamic Bank, we are proud of this pioneering step and are pleased to be the first bank to finance Tamkeen’s initiatives, which aim to support the medical workforce and empower them through access to financing solutions, which will in turn allow for the further development of the overall healthcare industry in Bahrain.”
Tamkeen, in line with national priorities, the Government Plan, and the Bahrain Economic Recovery Plan, introduced several other initiatives this year aimed at supporting nationals in the healthcare sector. Since their launch in early March, these initiatives have made a significant impact, resulting in the employment of 70 Bahraini doctors who were job seekers registered with the Ministry of Labor. Additionally, nine currently employed doctors have received wage increment support.
Other initiatives aim to support the employment of Bahraini doctors and dentists at private clinics and hospitals, including recent graduates and job seekers recommended by the Ministry of Labor. These healthcare professionals will receive a wage of no less than BD800, with wages supported at varying percentages (70%, 50%, or 30%) for a period of three years.
The second initiative aims to support the wages of doctors currently working for private sector hospitals through the doctor’s track under the Train & Grow program. This aims to raise the salaries of doctors earning less than BD800, with Tamkeen covering 100% of the increase for a period of 12 months.
Lastly, the third initiative seeks to encourage private sector healthcare institutions to employ more Bahraini doctors and maintain a Bahrainization rate of at least 25% for their doctors and dentists. To achieve this, the institutions will be able to apply for grant amounts within Tamkeen’s enterprise support programs based on their Bahrainization rate at the application stage. Tamkeen has already started receiving applications from hospitals and health centers that meet the required Bahrainization rates, in which three institutions have received support as part of this initiative.