Efforts to regulate medical ads to prevent commercial fraud

KUWAIT: Following up reports about the Ministry of Education's (MoE) decision to cancel the termination of 400 expatriate employees, MoE's assistant undersecretary for administrative affairs Fahd Al-Ghaiss strongly refuted the report, noting that it is nothing but rumors. Ghaiss stressed that MoE fully respects Civil Service Commission (CSC) instructions concerning the replacement of expatriate employees with national manpower according to a preset annual rate. Earlier reports had claimed that the ministry postponed the termination of 400 expatriate office boys until further notice due to a severe shortage in most schools.

Commercial fraud
In view of some medical ads deemed as abusive and deceptive, Kuwait Medical Association (KMA) Chairman Dr Ahmad Thowaini Al-Enezi announced moves to regulate medical ads in collaboration with the health and information ministries. Enezi stressed the significance of regulating these ads to prevent commercial fraud. "KMA will soon hold a symposium to discuss these regulations," he underlined, noting that doctors must respect the profession's ethics. Enezi explained some ads have been using medicine as a means for profiteering and that some TV shows had been involved in the process. He urged the ministry of information to do something to stop such programs.

KD 4.5 million
Well-informed sources said a tender to furnish and equip the Kuwait Investment Authority headquarters will cost around KD 4.5 million to supply, examine, hand over, maintain furniture and equipment and interior design.

KD 1.38 million
Kuwait Municipality facilities' consumption of electricity in the last fiscal year ending on March 31, 2019 was worth KD 1.38 million; ie KD 114,000 a month or KD 3,800 a day.

Ministers' responses
The National Assembly office decided declassifying nine ministers' responses to parliamentary inquiries made this May, including those made by the Finance Minister Nayef Al-Hajraf. Notably, the assembly's office usually receives lawmakers' objections to ministers' requests to respond to inquiries behind closed doors to protect highly classified information.

Livestock vaccination
The Public Authority for Agricultural Affairs and Fish Resources (PAAAFR) officially urged the finance ministry to pass a special budget it requested to provide vaccinations needed to immunize the entire livestock in Kuwait. Finance Minister Nayef Al-Hajraf met PAAAFR Chairman Sheikh Mohammed Al-Yousif and chairman of the dairy products producers union Abdul Hakeem Al-Ahmed to discuss the provision of the vaccinations.

Ramadan violations
Ministry of Social Affairs' acting undersecretary Hana Al-Hajeri said 970 field inspections visits had been made since the beginning of Ramadan to follow up the charity donation collection project. Hajeri added inspection teams have filed 65 citations for unlawful donation collection kiosks, nine for not respecting the awqaf ministry schedule, five for placing cash donation boxes inside mosques and one for collecting blood money.

By A Saleh and Meshaal Al-Enezi