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NATIONAL
Monday, January 4, 2010
Ministry urged to take serious steps
Doctors demand more job perks By Rawan Khalid
living expenses and annual income levels at par with other parts of the world. Recent press reports quoted ministry officials as saying that the salaries of Kuwaiti and nonKuwaiti doctors will be raised between 30 percent to 60 percent.
KUWAIT: Doctors have urged the Health ministry to take serious steps to improve their living conditions in the country. They demanded a salary raise that covers their Kuwait Times asked some Kuwaiti and non-Kuwaiti, to receive revised salaries. non-Kuwaiti doctors about their opinion Every doctor should be given a rent on the subject. Some officials say many allowance. We are serving a whole nation doctors have resigned from services to here. So it’s only fair that the salaries are return to their respective native countries raised. At the end of the day, nothing will or obtain suitable placements at other happen and we will not see any raise in GCC countries that offer them several our money.” A gynecologist who refused to disclose benefits as reported in Al-Dar newspaper. Dr. Saeed T, a dentist who works in a her name said, “In my point of view, the public hospital said, “We have read many old doctors deserve higher salaries. This of such articles and we have heard about is because they have served Kuwait for decisions. Actually, nothing has happened more than 20 years. Some even have till now. Yes, it’s fair for every doctor Master’s or a PhD qualification and experegardless of whether they are Kuwaiti or rience. The new doctors deserve only a
raise of about 10 percent of their salaries because they haven’t fully served Kuwait yet.” A pediatrician who requested anonymity had this to say, “All what they say and what we read is great. But nothing has happened since a year ago. This is our right. This raise should be made practicable. If I don’t receive a salary raise, I am going to resign and return to my country. Is it reasonable, that a doctor who works in the Ministry of Health has to pay his own health fee insurance? I think they shouldn’t charge us for that.”
Ministry promotes patient safety program KUWAIT: Assistant Undersecretary of Kuwait’s Ministry of Health for Planning and Quality Affairs Dr Walid Al-Fallah said yesterday the patient safety program being introduced to all hospitals is an integral part of the ministry’s plan for modernizing the healthcare services. The World Health Organization (WHO) attributes particular importance to the issue of patient safety which is a global issue affect-
ing countries at all levels of development, Al-Fallah told reporters here. “The WHO experts have developed in May, 2009, the Global Priorities for Patient Safety Research which provided vitally important solutions to facilitate the spread and use of research findings to inform safer health care in all WHO Member States,” he pointed out. “The solutions aim to increase knowledge about
in the news
KUWAIT: The Kuwait Municipality recently concluded a training course entitled ‘Planning and Project Management.’ It was attended by the Training and Development Manager Awwadh Al-Otaibi.
Apartment ads exclude Kuwaiti tenants By Nawara Fattahova KUWIAT: In an increasing number of advertisements, in the press and various other places, apartments are being offered to expats only. These signs don’t allow Kuwaitis to lease available apartments because the landlord or owner of the building had bad experiences with Kuwaiti tenants. These advertisements can be found beside other ads that do not rent to bachelors, or ask for only newly married couples to lease the apartment. “The owner of the building does not want to rent his apartments to Kuwaitis,” said Nasser, a real estate broker, to the Kuwait Times. “He said that he did that in the past and he encountered many problems. He said that many of the Kuwaitis that rented the apartments turned it into
a party location. The owner prefers renting to expat families, this is usually who we accept.” Omar, another real estate agent, said “a Kuwaiti will not live in an apartment. He most probably will rent the flat and turn it into a gathering place for his friends to gamble and have parties. If he was young and wanted to live in the flat with his wife, he would be most welcome.” Many landlords won’t rent to a single woman or to bachelors. “It’s not possible to let a bachelor lease a flat in a building where all the other tenants are families,” added Omar. “This can cause problem for the wives and the families will not feel comfortable. Also, many owners refuse to lease flats in their buildings for single women because they have had bad
experiences with women who hold parties and disturb neighbors. There is another point here. Many of the owners say that they won’t go to court to file a case against a woman if she doesn’t pay the rent. He would find it immoral.” Many owners have faced several problems with Kuwaiti tenants. “Most owners have financial obligations on a monthly basis,” said Mohammed, another landlord. “They are waiting for the rent of the tenants. When the tenant doesn’t pay for two or three months he is losing and getting into problems. Then he has to go to the court and get a decision to empty the apartment. He will have to wait a long time to receive his money and the apartment will stay closed for a few months. Some tenants also steal the furniture of the flat
when leaving.” Some owners feel more comfortable when leasing to foreigners. “The owners of villas who live on one floor and want to rent out the second floor, prefer to have western expats in the villa,” noted Husein Abdul Majeed, a partner in a real estate agency. “They may feel embarrassed and not free if they think a Kuwaiti tenant is always watching them, while western tenant might not. Also, they are afraid that if any problem occurred, especially with paying the rent, the Kuwaiti tenant would find a relative or friend who knows the owner and try to solve the problem or stop him from demanding payment. They find dealing with strangers easier, especially if it was with westerners whose company will pay the rent,” he concluded.
Alternative to sponsorship system KUWAIT: As part of its continuous efforts to find suitable alternatives to the current sponsorship practice, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor is mulling over setting up a public authority for expatriate workers. In this method, all residence work permits of expats will be registered with a public shareholding company. The suggestion was proposed by Minister, Dr. Mohammad Al-Afasi in response to MP Dr. Yousuf Al-Zalzalah’s question. They said that the ministry will coordinate with the International Labor Organization (ILO) by sending experts to Kuwait to study the country’s labor market, reported Al-Watan. Furthermore, all suggestions will be referred to proper committees in order to take follow-up action, once a decision is made.
MPs respond to celebrations KUWAIT: MP Dr Waleed Al Tabtabae hailed the efforts of police for preventing violations on public morals on New Year’s Eve and called on the Ministry of Interior to keep up this effort throughout the year, reported Al-Shahed. In response, MP Dr Maasouma Al-Mubarak expressed astonishment Al-Tabtabae for appointing himself the guardian of people and their behavior. She said that MPs have no right to threaten the public and have no authority over how they express themselves during times of sadness or joy. She went on to say that God is the only one who watches and keeps a record of a person’s good or bad deeds. Al-Zalzala to meet authorities KUWAIT: Chairman of the Finance and Economy Committee at the National Assembly MP Dr Yousuf Al-Zalzala said that the committee will meet with concerned government authorities as per the state’s strategic plan. The Finance Ministry, Deputy Premier for Economic Affairs Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad will be consulted. He said the committee will present its report after the meeting with the Cabinet and holding discussions, reported Awan. He said that no changes were made on the debtor’s law on behalf of the government or MPs.
Seminar on new developments in swine flu KUWAIT: The Egyptian Cultural Office organized a medical seminar under the patronage of the Egyptian Ambassador to Kuwait Taher Farhat. It was titled ‘New Developments in Swine Flu.’ Public health specialist and Head of the Department at Mubarak hospital, Dr Ahmad Khalil was the keynote speaker in the seminar. Human beings contract the flu when they come in contact with
infected swine. The reverse can also occur when the animal contracts the virus, leading it to the creation of mutated virus. The mutated virus is then transferred to humans, which then turns into a contagious disease like the seasonal flu. Coughing and sneezing through the mouth and nose can spread the virus. Symptoms of swine flu are similar to those of the season-
al flu that is characterized by a sudden increase in temperature, coughing, pain in the muscles. This virus causes diarrhea and vomiting at a much severe degree than the normal flu, reported Al-Anba. He added that some precautionary measures could prevent it from being transmitted - washing hands with soap several times during the day, especially after coming in contact
with animals, and by avoiding getting closer to an infected person. This is in addition to covering the mouth and nose with a napkin while coughing or sneezing. Avoid touching around the eye contour area and the nose in case the hands are dirty to avoid transmitting the virus. Dr Khalil emphasized that the infection is not air borne, but is spread by sneezing and coughing.
Patients should be examined from a considerable distance so that the infection can be avoided. Pregnant women and young children are the most vulnerable, including asthma patients. Speaking about the vaccine, he said that it can be administered to pregnant women, baby sitters, medical emergency staff, adults who fall in the range between 19 to 24 age group.
patient safety, how research is conducted, what priorities are determined, and how the results are disseminated. “They can have significant impact on government health policies, the introduction of improved health-care practices and, as a result, better patient care,” Dr. Al-Fallah noted. He affirmed that the Ministry’s Planning and Quality Affairs Department doubled its efforts to educate the personnel of all state-run
and private-run hospitals on the patient safety issue and conducted field studies on the best ways to implement the relevant WHO guidelines. “The Ministry has made the patient care program a priority item of its modernization plan. “The programs ensures speedy admission of patients into the hospitals, easy access to proper diagnosis and medication and improved pathological care,” Dr. Al-Fallah added. — KUNA
IBS, Harvard school to present program KUWAIT: Kuwait’s Institute of Banking Studies (IBS) is set to work closely with the prestigious Harvard Business School to design and implement an executive education program for senior administrators in the Kuwaiti banking sector. The announcement of the new joint program was made by IBS chairman Sheikh Salem Abdulaziz Al-Sabah, who is also governor of the Central Bank of Kuwait (CBK). The Governor pointed out that the program, initiated by the CB, is sponsored by the IBS member banks, the CBK, National Bank of Kuwait, Gulf Bank, Commercial Bank of Kuwait, Burgan Bank, Al Ahli Bank of Kuwait, Bank of Kuwait and the Middle East, Kuwait International Bank, Industrial Bank of Kuwait and Boubyan Bank. Sheikh Salem Abdulaziz explained that the program is one of the strategic developmental projects being pursued by Kuwait’s banking sector, led by the Central Bank and organized by the IBS, to upgrade the skills of the national workforce, of which executive leadership comprises the key component. The CBK governor indicated that preparations for this effort began over a year ago after a resolution was approved to organize a high-level program with the help of a leading international business school. The IBS initiated communication with Harvard Business School, and the two parties reached an agreement around the beginning of this year, he revealed. He also explained that that this will be the first customized program that the worldrenowned Harvard Business School has delivered in the GCC region, affirming that the school is very selective in undertaking such projects, especially those beyond its campus in Boston, USA. Sheikh Salem Al-Abdulaziz explained that the program is designed around two integrated
themes, ‘Strategic Management’ and ‘Leadership.’ These themes were agreed upon following a one-week visit to Kuwait last April by Dr James Dowd of Harvard Business School, who will serve as the program’s Faculty Chairman. Dr Dowd and members of the IBS management spent the week in extensive discussions with chairpersons, chief executive officers, general managers and assistant general managers from the number of Kuwaiti banks. Using the information gained in these meetings, a program was designed in two integrated modules. The first, entitled ‘Developing and Executing Effective Strategies’ will be held from Jan 23 to 27, with the second, entitled ‘Maximizing Leadership Impact,’ will run between April 11 and 14. Sheikh Salem affirmed that this executive education program will adhere to Harvard Business School’s high standards thus ensuring that participants and their banks will be provided with the same quality of learning experience for which the school is so well known. At the end of the program, participants will receive a Harvard Business School certificate, verifying that they have completed the program. The Governor elaborated that the world-famous Harvard Business School case studies will be the main learning tool utilized in the program; these case studies are written by the school’s faculty and are used in numerous universities and executive development centers. As well as selecting banking and finance cases, the faculty have also chosen some that focus on other industries to diversify participants’ learning experience. The program will also include application sessions during which participants will focus on how the concepts and frameworks presented by the Harvard faculty can be put to work in their own organizations. — KUNA
KIA gets go-ahead for hi-tech scanners KUWAIT: Kuwait International Airport’s customs administration department has received the go-ahead from the Ministry of Health (MoH) to introduce a number of advanced scanning systems at the airport, which are able to detect any unusual or strange objects being carried by passengers. KIA’s Director General Suleiman Al-Fahad told reporters that the equipment, which is extremely advanced, does not show body parts in detail, but uses sonic waves which detect any unusual obstruction or alien object, even inside a passenger’s stomach, reported Al-Anba. The equipment, which was purchased some time ago, was sent to the health ministry for assessment to ensure that its use would not be harmful to passengers’ health.