‘Investing in humans base of modern health care systems’
‘Scant transparency in State projects’
KUWAIT CITY, April 16, (KUNA): Kuwaiti Health Minister Dr Jamal Al-Harbi on Sunday emphasized the significance of investing in the human element as the base of modern health systems.
This was the essence of a statement delivered on behalf of the minister by the ministry’s Acting Undersecretary, Dr Mohammad Al-Khashti, also Assistant Undersecretary for Planning and Quality Affairs to a conference held on the occasion of the 2nd Biomedical Laboratory Science Day.
He added that the conference reflects the ministry’s keenness on scientific and medical events to promote the performance of all staffs of the medical profession.
He noted biomedical laboratory professions are among “the biggest groups in the field of health care.” On her part, the head of the ministry’s Directorate of Medical Laboratories Services Dr Doaa Al-Khaldi addressed the event saying it was part of the efforts to keep pace with the latest scientific techniques in the field.
The conference seeks through lectures and workshops to highlight the crucial role played by the laboratories professions, she added.
Al-Khaldi noted that the total 145 laboratories in the Kuwaiti hospitals are provided with the latest advanced equipment in the world.
Three major contractors, in coordination with Ministry of Public Works, are currently controlling state projects. This
phenomenon is inconsistent with the policy of transparency and competition warranted by the provisions of the law that govern execution of state projects, as well as a violation of the regulations that guarantee equal opportunities among contractors, reports Al-Shahed daily quoting sources.
They explained that some of
these companies sell these tenders to subcontractors, a situation usually accompanied with delays and failures of some projects supervised by Ministry of Public Works.
The big companies controlling the projects have strong relations and connections within the ministry, which help them in getting the tenders easily.
The sources called for an urgent need for regulatory authorities to intervene and prevent the phenomenon of selling tenders to subcontractors who fail to meet the requirements of the state developmental plans.
They also urged Ministry of Public Works to up their monitoring role on projects in order to stop wastage of state funds.