No sterility cases sent for treatment abroad: Health Minister

Hussam Al-Roumi

KUWAIT: Minister of Public Works and State Minister for Municipal Affairs Hussam Al-Roumi said work on developing Fahaheel Expressway (Road No 30) may begin on April 2021, adding that the project is still in the early stages of the feasibility study which is expected to be completed in Dec 2019. The minister said in an answer to a parliamentary question that contracts may be introduced after the study and design phases are completed by Aug 2020, then when all procedures are complete and tenders are awarded, work may start in April 2021. He said that among the most important obstacles the project faces re current and future services all along the road, determining the road's path, receiving municipal approval for repossessions and oil pipelines that require continued coordination with Kuwait Oil Company.

Sterility cases

Health Minister Sheikh Dr Basel Al-Sabah said the number of sterility cases that were treated in 2016 and 2017 are 1,157, and no cases were sent for treatment abroad. He said the ministry did not take any measure to re-send sterility cases for treatment abroad as well as to private hospitals in Kuwait at state cost because of the opening of a new unit in Jahra that can meet the area's needs. He said it was decided that cases that can be sent abroad are that of cancer, children and critical conditions, and sterility is not among them.

General asset

Minister of Oil and Minister of Electricity and Water Bakheet Al-Rasheedi said the sale and purchase of oil as a general asset is done by Kuwait Petroleum Corporation and its subsidiaries. He said the oil ministry and Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) do not object to issuing the necessary licenses to some private companies if they meet the condition to practice this activity in Kuwait and abroad.

Work permits

The Public Authority for Manpower issued an administrative decision with regards to issuing work permits for non-Kuwaitis in Kuwaiti companies as 'partners', if an application is submitted according to a special form. Conditions include submission of the company's establishment contract, commerce and industry ministry's certificate stating the partners' names and their shares provided that the non-Kuwaiti partner's share is not less than KD 100,000, in addition to a balance sheet approved by commerce and industry ministry.

State departments

Statistics by the Civil Service Commission about the distribution of workers in state departments revealed that the number of employees reached 352,197 including 268,101 citizens and 79,573 expats. The stats showed that the number of government employees during the first quarter of this year reached 349,714 including 264,195 citizens and 80,955 expats.

By A Saleh