ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFIED NEWSPAPER Home | 2 Business | 13 Sport | 22 Mada event Japan unveils Prince Ali faces told of lack of $110bn for Asia off Blatter as facilities for the infrastructure to Figo, Van Praag disabled in Qatar. take on China. exit FIFA poll. FRIDAY 22 MAY 2015 • 4 Shaaban 1436 • Volume 20 Number 6438 www.thepeninsulaqatar.com [email protected] | [email protected] Editorial: 4455 7741 | Advertising: 4455 7837 / 4455 7780 Sheikha Jawaher attends QU graduation Expat camel Ministry slams farm worker Amnesty over hit by MERS DOHA: A 29-year old expa- triate working in a camel farm in Qatar has tested posi- tive for MERS (Middle East labour claims Respiratory Syndrome) virus, the Supreme Council of Health (SCH) said yesterday. This is the third confirmed Highlights reform achievements MERS case reported this year, taking the total infections in the DOHA: Qatar yesterday hit been provided to ensure inspec- country to 14. back at Amnesty International tion reports are instantly filed The last case was reported in for accusing it of failing to electronically. March, in which a 69-year-old deliver on reforms for migrant The ministry said it continues Qatari was infected. workers and said significant to clamp down on companies and An SCH statement said the changes have been made to manpower agencies and penalise patient reported at a primary improve working conditions. them for breaking Qatari laws. healthcare centre on May 19 with A majority of workers com- Manpower agencies outside symptoms of fever and cough for ing to Qatar earn considerably Qatar exploiting workers in vio- H H Sheikha Jawaher bint Hamad bin Suhaim Al Thani honours one of the graduates at Qatar University’s five days. He tested positive for more than they would at home, lation of the country’s laws have women’s graduation ceremony of Class of 2015 at Qatar National Convention Centre, in the presence of QU MERS CoV virus the following said the Ministry of Labour and been banned from recruiting for President Prof Sheikha Abdullah Al Misnad. Report on page 3 day and transferred to hospital Social Affairs. companies or manpower agen- under infection prevention and One benchmark of increas- cies in Qatar. control measures. ing migrant workers’ earning New accommodations of glo- He has no other chronic dis- capacity is that they collectively bal standards for over a million eases (co-morbidities) nor did he remitted about $12bn home in workers are being built across travel out of the country during 2014, Qatar News Agency (QNA) the country, the statement Online system to assess work the incubation period (the time quoted the ministry as saying. added. between exposure to the infec- “For those who suffer poor The ministry said it has tion and the symptoms first seen), treatment, the ministry works installed an electronic com- said SCH. He also didn’t interact to ensure they receive all support plaint-filing system for work- of state contractors soon with any suspected or confirmed they need to improve their situ- ers in seven languages and MERS cases. ation and action is taken against complaints reach authorities DOHA: A unified online system standards and deliver projects The system would be evalu- The patient’s condition is stable any company that mistreats instantly. is being developed to continu- in time. Incentives will be given ated for a while and contract and is receiving treatment. workers,” said the ministry. “Any complaints from Nepalese ously assess the performance of to contractors that score high documents changed in future to A team of experts from Health In fact, Qatar aims to be a workers unable to return home contractors doing government in performance assessment, said explain to contractors the terms Promotion and Communicable regional leader, driving change to rejoin their families (in the projects worth QR40m ($11m) Saad bin Ahmed Al Misnad, Head of performance assessment. Diseases Department at SCH and and improvement of standards in aftermath of the recent earth- and above. of the grading panel. Al Misnad said even before the Animal Health Department is the region, the ministerial state- quake) would be treated with The system is being developed He told reporters on the side- implementing the online grad- conducting a thorough investiga- ment added. utmost urgency,” the ministry for a contractors’ grading panel at lines of a workshop yesterday that ing and evaluation system on tion of other workers and camels The ministry also talked of assured. the Central Tenders Committee this was the first time a unified an experimental basis, feedback at the barn where the expatriate the Wage Protection System It said it has always welcomed of the Ministry of Finance, by online system of performance would be taken from contractors works. whereby all low-income workers and has been open to viewpoints an engineering consultancy firm evaluation was being developed representing different sectors. People who came in contact are to be paid salaries through and ideas. “No one should be in selected in a transparent manner. for government contractors. Yesterday’s was the third with him have been advised to banking channels. any doubt that we are committed The proposed online evalu- An extensive database of all workshop in a row. The first was take preventive measures and The ministry said it has also to bringing about effective and ation system will be unified for government contractors will be attended by heads of govern- report to authorities if they strengthened the capacity of sustainable change.” all government departments and fed to the system. ment departments that award develop any respiratory symp- labour inspectors who total 294 The ministry said it will con- agencies, including the minis- The workshop was held with contracts, and the second was toms, said SCH. and their number is likely to tinue to work closely with NGOs, tries that award state projects to officials from contracting compa- for heads of engineering consul- The council has set up a hot- reach 400 by year-end. international organisations and contractors. nies and the engineering consul- tancy firms. line 66740948/66740951 at Health Last year, 51,000 inspections the business community to The idea behind a centralised tancy firm developing the system. All workshops were held by the Promotion and Communicable were conducted on companies deliver on the commitment. evaluation system for state con- Al Misnad said it might take department at the ministry that Diseases Department to answer and labour camps using the GPS Continued on page 3 tractors is to ensure they stick two to three months to launch the supervises government purchases. public queries about MERS. and appropriate technology has THE PENINSULA to quality, meet the required system on an experimental basis. THE PENINSULA THE PENINSULA Xavi quits Seha diabetes Yemen aid office raid kills 5 booth to open at DUBAI: Shells allegedly fired by Saudi-led Arab coalition, hit an Barca for Al international aid office in Yemen yesterday, killing five Ethiopian Al Wakra Hospital refugees, a local official said, while violence across the country put UN-led peace talks in doubt. The official said 10 refugees were Sadd after DOHA: A diabetes booth will go wounded when artillery fire and air strikes hit the town of Maydee live this month at the Diabetes bordering Saudi Arabia in Hajja province, a stronghold of the Iran- Clinic at Al Wakra Hospital, allied Houthis the coalition has been bombing for eight weeks. 17 seasons under the National Health Saudi spokesman Brigadier General Ahmed Asseri denied Saudi Insurance Scheme (Seha). involvement and blamed the Houthis. “If the report is correct, it would BARCELONA: Barcelona mid- The Seha Diabetes be the responsibility of the Houthis, who have a big presence in the fielder and captain Xavi yester- Management Programme was area.” Saudi Arabia has previously denied responsibility for civilian day confirmed he will leave his established 18 months ago to deaths in remote northern areas residents and local officials ascribed boyhood club at the end of the lower the risks associated with to its fire. UN chief Ban Ki-moon has announced peace talks in Geneva season and has agreed to join the disease by improving mem- on May 28 and Rajeh Badi, spokesman for Yemen president Abd-Rabbu Qatari side Al Sadd after a glit- bers’ health by educating them. Mansour Hadi, said consultations were held by the government in exile tering career stretching over 17 The booth will operate from in Riyadh over preparations. See also page 5 seasons. Barcelona’s midfielder Xavi Hernandez poses prior to giving a press 7am to 3pm from Sunday to The 35-year-old former Spain conference at Sports Centre FC Barcelona Joan Gamper in Sant Joan Thursday under a team of nurses international, who signed up with Despi, near Barcelona, yesterday. and customer support staff who Over half of Syria in IS control Barca’s academy in 1991 at 11 and have received specialised training has won 23 trophies with the first to engage with Seha members on DAMASCUS: IS militants seized Syria’s Palmyra yesterday, as team, formally announced his “I am a product of the Barca Athletic Bilbao on May 30 and how to improve their health. Unesco warned that the destruction of the ancient city would be departure at a press conference family. I think my contribution the Champions League showpiece Members will experience a per- “an enormous loss to humanity”. The capture of the 2,000-year-old after the news had leaked out ear- has been very good, I have done versus Juventus a week later. sonalised interaction with health- metropolis reportedly leaves more than half of Syria under IS con- lier this week.