Page 71 - Protestant Missionary Activity in the Arabian Gulf

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essential to Kuwait and hence was not an appropriate gesture

of missionary concern. At the same time, the Kuwait govern­

ment officials who were questioned about the hospital’s use­

fulness were unwilling to say the words or perform the deeds

; that could have saved it. Carefully worded press releases in
l
. English and Arabic were prepared to explain to the public

why the hospitals were closing, and in an air of controversy

the matter was quickly closed - a somewhat awkward episode
132
both for the Kuwait government and the New York Board,

!
] The Kuwait government, perhaps as a gesture of regret

at not having taken more steps to save the mission hospital,

offered some of the mission medical personnel positions in

the Kuwait health program, The Chief Medical Officer, Dr.

lewis Scudder, Sr •» and his wife, Dorothy, who had together
served Kuwait since 1939 and almost viewed it more as their

■ home than the United States, accepted the government’s offer
- %
i
to sta3>- on. Dr. Scudder became the Director of Kuwait’s
Military Hospital, where Mrs. Scudder assumed duties as Head

Matron.

The Kuwait hospital closure in 1967 was to have more

far-reaching ramifications than the Mission Board in New

York had anticipated, and shortly thereafter the other Mission

activities began to be threatened. The land on which the

Mission compound stood (two hospitals, three residences,

nurses’ dormitory, a church and a parish hall, store rooms

and garages) had been granted to the Mission by Shaikh Mubarak

in 1913 for the express purpose of building a hospital and

A