Health rules draw MPs’ ire

KUWAIT CITY, Feb 20: MP Saadoun Hammad praised the decision of health authorities to exempt Kuwaiti patients, students and minors as well as medical practitioners and diplomats from institutional quarantine. Hammad urged interim Minister of Health Dr Basel Al-Sabah to include the companions of Kuwaiti patients to the exempted categories and for them to be home quarantined for 14 days after undergoing PCR test.

In another development, MP Ahmad Al-Hamad forwarded queries to interim Minister of Finance Khalifa Hamada about the estimated value of State properties and rental fees based on current market prices. He wants to know the rent for State properties compared to current market prices. He suggested the establishment of more residential areas, allowing real estate developers to participate in public tenders, and providing alternative housing services matching the citizens’ demands and number of family members.

MP Muhannad Al-Sayer also asked the interim finance minister about the budget allotted for the preparation of institutional quarantine centers, how much has been spent so far, and reasons behind the removal of some quarantine centers even if the coronavirus has yet to end. On the other hand, MP Osama Al-Shaheen pointed out it is unacceptable to compensate hotels for their losses through the citizens’ pockets.

Issuing
MP Abdulkareem Al-Kandari said the government keeps on issuing disturbing decisions; citing the decision to impose institutional quarantine and require citizens to shoulder the cost for this type of quarantine after one year of implementing home quarantine and after spending a lot of money on smart bracelets and the ‘shlonik’ platform.

MP Hamdan Al-Azmi asserted no one, not even the interior minister, has the right to prevent a citizen from entering the country under the pretext that he did not book a hotel for institutional quarantine. He urged the government to respect the Constitution if it wants the citizens’ respect. MP Khalid Al-Otaibi said the government is now reaping the fruits of mismanaging the crisis, stressing that preventing citizens from entering the country is a violation of the Constitution.

He inquired: “Where are the quarantine centers which cost millions of Kuwaiti dinars?” MP Musaed Al-Ardi cited Article 15 of the Constitution, stipulating “the State shall care for public health through measures of precaution and cure of diseases and epidemics.” He added Article 28 says “no Kuwaiti may be deported from Kuwait or prevented from returning to it.” He claimed it is not strange for the minister of interior to violate the Constitution since he is part of the government which usually commits such a violation and dodges responsibility.

MP Farz Al-Daihani said the Ministry of Interior cannot prevent the entry of citizens through any of the Kuwaiti borders even after the enforcement of recent decisions regarding institutional quarantine. He stressed that the power of the Constitution is stronger than such disturbing decisions.

MP Dr Saleh Zeiab Al-Mutairi claimed the government is keen on satisfying big businesspersons, including the owners of hotels. He added citizens should not be forced to shoulder the cost of institutional quarantine, especially since the government spent millions of Kuwaiti dinars for the establishment of quarantine centers.

By Saeed Mahmoud Saleh Arab Times Staff