Wards allocated at Mubarak, Farwaniya Hospitals for defense ministry in emergencies

KUWAIT: A number of Kuwaiti NGOs expressed total rejection of what they described as 'illegal and unethical' violations committed by some people to make personal gains through forgery of their degrees and cheating at the expense of both the nation and other citizens. A joint statement issued by 33 Kuwaiti NGOs said this issue had been raised years earlier but no measures were taken to resolve the problem then. "The number of cases discovered recently shows the volume of such a disaster and everybody's fear for this nation's future," the statement said.

"Out of our role as NGOs representing all social factions, out of keenness on the soundness of our educational structure and in order to ensure a better future for our children, we announce joining a public call recently launched on various social media networks to have a better Kuwait," added the NGOs, who signed the statement and called for holding whoever is responsible or involved legally accountable.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the government employees syndicates union Hussein Al-Azmi highly commended measures taken by Education Minister Hamed Al-Azmi on exposing holders of fake certificates and degrees and urged him to keep investigating the matter, going back to years before he came to office. Azmi stressed that forged degree and certificates are extremely dangerous to any society and that they undermine all states' foundations. "Minister Hamed Al-Azmi should be fully supported in fighting such a dangerous phenomenon", he underlined.

Wards allocated

Health minister Sheikh Dr Basel Al-Sabah issued a decision allocating two fully equipped wards at Mubarak Al-Kabeer and Farwaniya Hospitals to serve the defense ministry in case of any emergencies. Commenting on the decision, Kuwait army chief of joint staffs Lt Gen Mohammed Al-Khodor thanked the minister and highly commended cooperation amongst various ministries during emergencies. Khodor also sent a number of medical officers from Jaber Al-Ahmed Armed Forces Hospital to inspect the two wards.

Ambulance drivers

Informed sources said that the Ministry of Health (MoH) has stopped recruiting ambulance drivers because the medical emergencies department has enough drivers. The sources expected medical zone, hospital and department directors to be reshuffled when Sheikh Basel returns from vacation next week. The sources added that around 70 percent of hospital department heads will be reshuffled with the aim of developing various ministry sectors before launching major health projects in September.

Kuwaiti teachers

Ministry of Education's (MoE) undersecretary Haitham Al-Athari announced the appointment of new Kuwaiti teachers will start on Sunday (July 29), that of non-Kuwaitis locally contracted will start on Aug 5, and those contracted abroad will start on Aug 14. Athari added that the new teachers will start work on Aug 28 by attending a seven-day training course. Separately, MoE allocated a budget of KD 40 million for the indemnities of teachers referred to retirement, including those who had reached the legal retirement age, those who willingly retired and those retiring according to disabled employees' conditions. In another MoE-related concern, the Audit Bureau strongly criticized the ministry for not collecting a fine from a company that had hired illegal laborers to provide cleaning and services in various schools in Hawally.

Terminal 4

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DCGA) urged concerned companies to file their bids for three contracts to operate and maintain Terminal 4 at Kuwait International Airport. Informed sources explained that the first contract involves luggage carts and handling, the second involves developing, operating and maintaining parking lots and the third involves running duty free stores at the terminal.

Solar Power

Kuwait National Petroleum Company (KNPC) is currently in the final stages of naming a financial advisor to get a KD 700 million loan from local banks for the Debdebah Solar Power Plant project. Informed sources said it is expected to sign a contract with an advisor within 45 days and that the advisor's job will include studying the loan's feasibility and interest rates. The sources added that the project tender is expected to be officially offered for bidding before the end of July or by the beginning of August. They also noted that the project's estimated cost will be $ 1-1.5 billion and that the project, due to be built over an area of 32 sq km to the northwest, is expected to generate 1.5 megawatts of solar power, ie 15 percent of the total power expected by 2030.

By A Saleh and Meshaal Al-Enezi