Health Minister Commends Cholera Control Measures
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SUBSCRIPTION THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2015 THULHIJJA 24, 1436 AH www.kuwaittimes.net Filipino Nuclear Trio wins Chung to maids suffer black market Nobel Chemistry sue ‘liar and months of seeks IS Prize for DNA hypocrite’ brutality3 extremists13 repair28 work Blatter Health minister commends Min 26º cholera control measures Max 47º High Tide 07:35 & 21:52 MoH maintains close cooperation with WHO Low Tide 00:35 & 15:27 40 PAGES NO: 16661 150 FILS KUWAIT: Health Minister Dr Ali Al-Obaidi said yesterday his ministry has managed to control diseases, viruses and MP Saleh asks cholera thanks to its successful precautions. Three out of five cholera cases have already recovered in the country, about delay in the minister said in an exclusive statement to KUNA, citing recent World Health Organization’s (WHO) reports com- Zour contracts mending Kuwait’s cholera control measures. He even By B Izzak vowed that his ministry will reveal any information about cholera or any other disease in full transparency and clarity. KUWAIT: MP Khalil Al-Saleh, who has announced “The ministry is continuously in touch with citizens plans to grill Oil Minister Ali Al-Omair, yesterday sent through mass media in order to report new statistics. In him a number of questions on the reported delay in case of outbreak of epidemic diseases, the ministry will signing several contracts for the new Zour refinery. immediately inform the WHO,” he added. However, the Saleh cited a report published in a local daily about minister warned of rumors and unofficial statements Omair ordering Kuwait National Petroleum Co about the health situation in the country. (KNPC) to delay signing the five contracts with At the 62nd Regional Committee for the Eastern Continued on Page 13 Mediterranean Region of the World Health Organization held on Tuesday, the minister said the conferees had dis- cussed several health issues, chiefly medical treatment Hijra new year costs. They also addressed the subject of evaluating health technology and boosting the capacity of health systems off on Oct 14-15 through appropriate and effective methods to assess KUWAIT: The Hijra new year (Islamic new year) holiday health technology and choose better healthcare, he noted. will fall on Wednesday, Oct 14, the Civil Service Obaidi said Kuwait’s hosting of the session highlights Commission (CSC) said yesterday. The CSC instructed all the close cooperation with WHO since Kuwait joined the ministries and state bodies and institutions that the hol- organization in 1960. The fruitful cooperation covers vari- iday begins on Wednesday and lasts for two days, ous areas and serves many objectives for which the organ- according to a CSC statement. It is up to state agencies ization was established, the minister said in his inaugural of special status to set their own holiday schedule, but KUWAIT: Health Minister Dr Ali Al-Obaidi (right) is presented a memento by WHO Regional Director for the speech at the regional committee - the decision-making public interest should be taken into consideration, it Eastern Mediterranean Dr Ala Alwan at the 62nd Regional Committee for the Eastern Mediterranean Region body of the organization. added. — KUNA of the World Health Organization on Tuesday. — Photo by Yasser Al-Zayyat Continued on Page 13 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2015 LOCAL Rhea Kuwait, GCC coordinate to register Kuwait’s lawyers GCC approves Kuwait’s ICJ membership bid DOHA: Kuwait is coordinating with the GCC countries to from Arab countries, the minister added. officially register Kuwaiti lawyers to enable them to work in Kuwait has committed itself to this agreement by any of the Gulf countries, said Minister of Justice and adopting a relevant law, allowing many Gulf lawyers to reg- Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Yagoub Al-Sanea. ister with the Kuwait Society of Lawyers, the minister point- Lawyers’ registration in other GCC countries is in accor- ed out. Meanwhile, the justice ministers approved a draft dance with the articles of the Gulf economic agreement for agreement for the extradition of suspects and convicts self-employed persons, the minister said yesterday prior to among the GCC countries, he said. On how to implement leaving Doha, where he headed the Kuwaiti delegation in court rulings in the GCC countries, the Kuwaiti minister the 27th meeting of GCC justice ministers. Meanwhile, he said the GCC committee on international cooperation and noted that the meeting appointed the committee of inter- relations was asked to introduce amendments to a relevant national cooperation and relations to study steps and reg- agreement during its next meeting in 2016. ulations of registering GCC lawyers. Moreover, the committee was also awarded the task of Meanwhile, Kuwaiti Minister of Justice said yesterday working out a uniform law for fighting terrorism and then that the GCC justice ministers have consented to Kuwait’s referring it to the 20th meeting of the member states’ International Court of Justice (ICJ) membership bid. undersecretaries of justice ministries. The 27th meeting of Speaking to KUNA on the sidelines of the 27th meeting of GCC justice ministers, which kicked off here earlier in the GCC justice ministers, the Kuwaiti minister said the GCC day, focuses on a number of topics related to strengthening ministers agreed during the meeting to support Kuwaiti joint cooperation in the justice and judicial field. It will also judge Abdulhadi Al-Attar’s 2018 ICJ nomination for Asia. review results of undersecretaries’ meetings and other key The Gulf step is a springboard for rallying up more support issues of concern to the GCC member states. — Agencies Filipino maids suffer months of brutality Job opportunity turns into a nightmare By Ben Garcia she didn’t know we had contacted our family already and they knew the real story,” Flora narrated. Asked why they KUWAIT: A job opportunity in a faraway land turned into a didn’t try to escape and report the matter to authorities nightmare for two Filipina domestic workers. Rhea and while at their employer’s house, Rhea said they wished Flora came to Kuwait to work as housemaids in December they could have escaped, but the entire house was sur- last year, but found themselves in the clutches of a brutal rounded with a fence and the gates were locked. There employer in Andalus. According to them, for eight straight was no way out. months, they experienced ‘hell’ at their workplace. They They contacted their local agency many times too to suffered months of brutality until they finally got the report the abuses, but they were rebuffed. “At first they chance to escape in August. Rhea arrived in Kuwait on Dec told us to hold on and stay at the employer’s house. Then 15, 2014, while Flora came a week later at the same they told us to pay the full amount spent by employer, and employer’s house. if I didn’t have the amount, I must stay,” Flora said. In order Rhea first got a taste of her female employer’s cruelty to hire a Filipina housemaid, an employer must spend two days after arrival. “I was beaten with a huge wooden about KD 1,000. After almost a year at the house, Rhea paddle on my back only two days after starting work. My received only three months’ salary, while Flora received Minister of Justice and Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Yagoub Al-Sanea. employer told me I was beaten because I worked slowly, two months’ salary. but it didn’t end there - she kept up her cruel ways against us on a daily basis,” Rhea said. In Feb 2015, the employer Bribery charges inserted a spice bottle up Rhea’s private parts. “She did this After two months at the embassy fighting their case, as a form of punishment because I cleaned the bathroom the housemaids were brought to Andalus police station by EPA, KNPC discuss Mina slowly. She called me in the kitchen and told me to remove ATNU Officer Mar Hassan. The two accuse Hassan of my underwear. allegedly settling their case in exchange for money from When I refused, she grabbed me and forcibly removed their employer. “We thought that our case was progressing Al-Ahmadi gas leakage my panties. She then inserted the bottle of spice up my well. At 5 pm on September 21, the two of us were brought private parts, but this wasn’t enough - she daubed the to the police in Andalus by Mar Hassan, and left there spices on my genitals,” Rhea narrated between sobs. overnight. We don’t know why, but we saw our employer KUWAIT: The Environment Public Authority (EPA) said it is KOC security level ‘red’ “Because of that incident, I have no monthly period now - there. Hassan told us that we were being deported closely monitoring the investigation on the gas leakage In another development, Kuwait Oil Company has it just stopped. There was another brutal incident too. because we had an absconding case filed against us and from Kuwait National Petroleum Company’s Mina Al- raised the security level at the company to ‘red’, to go Once I cooked rice - you know we like to eat rice - but she our dues would be sent home later. Ahmadi refinery. In a press statement, EPA Director General along with the current precautionary measures in got very angry about it and held a scissor over my head, We were shocked because we had a case filed in Sheikh Abdullah Ahmad Al-Humoud Al-Sabah said the Kuwait. A security circular shows that KOC received saying she would cut my tongue. But she failed because I court, so why were we being deported without the reso- authority members held a meeting with KNPC officials to instructions to increase inspection procedures of oil weigh the measures taken - to control the leakage and the fields and security gates and double them than before.