KUWAIT: The Ministry of Health (MOH) is hiring a 'huge batch of nurses' from India and the Philippines who are due to join service in various public hospitals and clinics by January after their arrival by the end of next month, well-informed health sources said. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the sources added that MOH would need over 700 nurses to operate the new hospitals due to be launched soon including the new Al-Sabah Hospital, the infectious diseases hospital and some new clinics in various areas.

Private companies
Further, the sources explained that the nurses had been contracted through private companies while some of them were directly contracted by MOH. "Hiring nurses through companies will help avoid violating labor rights as MOH will be responsible to make sure accommodation is provided and monthly salaries are regularly paid without delay," the sources explained. The sources also stressed that MOH would immediately deduct any delayed or unpaid salaries from the concerned companies' deposit with the ministry in order to pay the nurses.

Banknote forgery
In other news, well-informed security sources said that Hawalli criminal investigators recently arrested an African gang who had forged millions of Kuwaiti dinars along with the machines, tools, paper and ink they had been using in the process

By A Saleh