(MENAFN- Arab Times) MP Abdul-Rahman Al-Jeeran has presented questions to Deputy Premier and Minister of Interior Sheikh Mohammed Al- Khalid Al-Sabah on the spread of drugs and alcoholic drinks in the country.
The lawmaker wants to know the procedures followed by the ministry in arresting those involved in the distribution of large quantity of drugs and alcoholic drinks, as well as ways to confiscate and store these items prior to disposal.
He requested for details like the quantity and types of alcoholic drinks and drugs confiscated from 2011 to 2013, disposal procedures and authorities in charge of such operations. He also asked about the steps taken to safeguard the confiscated items prior to disposal, methods of disposal, and companies specialized in this activity, if any.
Security
Meanwhile, MP Faisal Al- Kandari stressed it is now time to discuss the Weapons Collection Bill, considering it has been included in the priority list of the Parliament. He said the bill was presented to the Legislative and Legal Affairs Committee in September and it will be approved after the final discussion of the Interior and Defense Committee on Wednesday. He urged his fellow committee members to speed up discussion of the bill due to its important contribution to efforts to address social and security issues. He believes the bill, once approved, will reduce crimes which threaten national peace and security.
In another development, MP Hamdan Al-Azmi wondered why certain hospitals have rejected Kuwaiti and expatriate patients due to lack of beds, considering the health sector is one of the top priorities of the government. He lamented the sector continues to deteriorate despite its KD 1.6 billion annual budget and the citizens have yet to see improvements in facilities and services; while several issues remain unsolved like the medical errors, long waiting period, loss of files, unprecedented crowd, and lack of beds.
He asked if it is reasonable to witness such deterioration in the health sector of a rich country like Kuwait. He argued the problems lies in the management, not the budget; indicating if such a huge amount is allocated for the health sector of another country, they would have built a global medical city by now.
He asserted the Ministry of Health's budget doubled in recent years, until it reached more than KD1.6 billion this year compared to KD641 million in 2008. In spite of the huge budget, there has been no remarkable development in the health sector for more than six years, he added. He alleged the State's failure to develop the sector over the past years have prompted some private hospitals to take advantage of the situation. He disclosed these hospitals charge KD 140 for CT or MRI scan while the consultation fees range from KD 10 to KD 30.
He asked, "If the private health institutions charge that much for each consultation, how much more if the patients need to be confined for some days or undergo surgeries?" He added the deteriorating situation in public hospitals and clinics have left citizens with no choice but to avail of services offered by private hospitals even if the fees are higher - a heavy burden for low and middle-income earners. He then called for quick implementation of health projects such as the establishment of medical cities as per the laws approved by the National Assembly in order to better serve the public.
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