By Noimot Olayiwola/Staff Reporter

Parents have expressed concern over the safety of their children on Doha’s roads following the death of a five-year-old Indian boy after falling into an uncovered manhole.
The boy, Fahim, was declared dead at midnight on Monday, days after he fell into an open manhole in a poorly-lit area near the Fish Market on September 10.
Fahim’s death brings to three the number of children killed here in similar circumstances in less than a year.
In November last year, a three-year-old Jordanian boy died after falling into an 8m-deep hole outside a hotel in Al Sadd. He remained in coma for three weeks.
A month after that incident, a three-year-old Omani girl was killed after falling into an open manhole near her home in Al Wakrah.
These incidents have left many parents agitated and worried about their children’s safety, particularly in view of the massive construction work being undertaken across the country.
“It’s so sad to hear that little ones are getting killed in this manner… there are so many portions of roads where holes are kept open, without proper barricades. The saddest thing is that nobody is being held accountable,” Sindhu Nair, an Indian expatriate, told Gulf Times.
Nair said that in the 10 years that she has been in Doha, this is the first time that she is hearing of so many similar incidents occurring in a relatively short span.
“Qatar is supposed to be the safest country to live in, especially for children, but now we are having second thoughts about that. To see such deaths happening in quick succession is really worrying,” the mother of two said. “Now, I’ll have to make sure to walk very close to my children every time we go out, even if it is for a short distance.”
Other parents, including Rasha Khalid (Syrian, mother of three), Um Mariam (Nigerian, mother of four) and Kimberly (American, mother of one), echoed similar views, saying it was shocking to hear such news.
“This is really bad and now I am very afraid to allow my children to play outdoors alone. The (Fahim) incident has made me take extra care in terms of looking after my children because nobody wants to lose a child in this manner,” said Rasha Khalid, offering to conduct a mini awareness campaign among her friends to alert them of such dangers. “I’ll inform my friends about these incidents and educate them on how to always look after the little ones and ensure that they are safe at all times.”
It has been 13 years since Rasha Khalid came to Qatar and, according to her, she has never heard of such incidents in the past.
“I’m now even more concerned about the safety of my son and also believe that more needs to be done in this country in terms of safety to prevent such sad incidents from recurring, especially in view of the ongoing major and open construction works. Dangerous areas should be properly fenced,” said Kimberly, who has lived in Doha for close to six years.
Kimberly said she will now remain more alert and carefully look for open holes while walking around with her son, including at the park they visit.
While offering their condolences to the bereaved family, all the parents demanded that those responsible for the open manhole be held accountable and taken to task for their negligence.
The Kulluna for Health and Safety campaign focusing on child safety was launched in September 2012. The campaign consists of three parts - water safety, home safety and car safety - with each covering specific safety issues.
On hearing about the accident, one of the officials in charge of the Kulluna campaign, Abdulnasser Salim Mohamed, told Gulf Times that the issue of children’s safety pertaining to open manholes could be included in the campaign.