KUWAIT CITY: The Public Health Department at the Ministry of Health (MoH) will soon issue reports on the medical status of expatriate laborers electronically, Department Director Dr Rashed Al-Owaish told Al-Jarida. Al-Owaish confirmed the establishment of a local network linking the expatriates' medical examination centers in Shuwaikh, Farwaniya, Fahaheel and Jahra in addition to the Virology Laboratory in Shaab, Chest Center and General Administration to allow the issuance of electronic reports on the expatriates who undergo medical examinations in these centers. This, he said, is a move aimed at curbing the falsification of medical certificates.
Revealing the issuance of electronic medical reports is being tested within the department, Al-Owaish said the system will be implemented soon as well as a direct link between the department and Interior Ministry to expedite procedures for submitting reports on medically unfit expatriates to the Ministry.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health (MoH) is keen on protecting the well-being of Kuwaiti patients and fixing irregularities found in the Overseas Treatment Department (OTD), Minister Ali Al-Barrak told the Arab Times after visiting the Overseas Treatment Department in Al-Sabah recently.
Al-Barrak said he submitted a number of amendments to work procedures in the department to avoid centralization. He clarified the amendments are aimed at granting overseas treatment privileges to those who are in dire need for such treatments. He added the department's work load piles up during summer so he asked the staff not to succumb to outside pressures in processing overseas treatment applications. On other developments, sources confirmed the Ministry is installing power generators in different hospitals after the airconditioning units in several hospitals broke down lately due to power disruptions, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily.
In a meeting with Al-Barrak, Assistant Undersecretary for Finance and Services Affairs Abdul Fattah Al-Asmawi said the generators will be tested in the next two weeks. He also unveiled plans to review the Ministry's contracts with maintenance companies, disclosing those with violations will be cancelled. Sources added the Ministry has also ordered the payment of allowances to employees with outstanding job performance ratings in July. On the other hand, the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) asked citizens, who can't settle their outstanding energy bills through salary deduction due to loan installments, to sign a pledge to pay the bills monthly by cash at the Ministry.
In the meantime, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor will soon issue a directive banning cooperative societies from renewing the work permits of their expatriate workers until they go through a medical examination and are declared free of hepatitis and other infectious diseases, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily.
Sources say the directive will come into effect from the beginning of July.
Indicating that there has been a spread of infectious diseases among employees of several authorities, sources say the Ministry of Defense is already acting on the directive and has also terminated some employees who were found infected with hepatitis.
"Over 184 countries, which participated in the International Labor Conference held recently in Geneva, lauded Kuwait for the support it extends to expatriate workers," says Undersecretary at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor Mohammed Al-Kandari, adding "it is a great honor for the labor sector of the ministry," reports Al-Seyassah daily.
He added that Kuwait was not one of the four countries which were accused of ill-treating their expatriate workers.
By Dhuha Barqawi
© Arab Times 2008
