HSBC upgrades mobile banking app
HSBC Qatar has upgraded its mobile banking app with a new look and feel and simplified navigation, including Android app availability. The new app, which can be downloaded from Apple and Google stores, allows customers funds transfer facilities between their HSBC accounts in country, in addition to a “better user experience.” HSBC launched mobile banking solutions in the region in 2012 and since then continues to invest in enhancing its digital offering. The enhancements have resonated well with HSBC’s customers, with more than 50,000 HSBC mobile banking applications downloaded on smartphones and Androids in Mena. The bank has also announced that it expects a 60% growth in the number of Internet banking logons through mobile devices this year across Mena. Understanding customer’s Internet banking behaviour, a survey of 1,727 HSBC Personal Internet Banking (PIB) customers in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Egypt, Bahrain, Lebanon and Jordan, conducted by Nielsen, a leading global provider of information and insights, revealed that there were large discrepancies in the opinions of customers that have registered and those that have not registered for HSBC’s online banking services. HSBC’s Regional Head of Retail Banking and Wealth Management for Middle East and North Africa Francesca McDonagh said: “Online banking has revolutionised the way that banks can provide customers access to their banking needs. Despite the relatively low penetration of online banking in Mena, the demographics of the region’s Internet users and the growth in the number of people online suggests that this will change. HSBC provides many added-value services online to cater to these customers, such as our ‘Global View - Global Transfer’ facility. We have also upgraded our Internet banking platform, offering improved customer experience, firmly moving our digital offering into a strong position within the regional Mena marketplace.” McDonagh believes customers can protect themselves better by working with banks that are taking the right precautions. “HSBC recognises that the main factors holding people back from the advantages of using Internet banking is a lack of awareness of its benefits and the fear of cyber fraud. However, we have the right security measures in place to mitigate these threats – a good example is HSBC’s Secure Key, which is provided by HSBC to all customers free of cost,” she said. Accreditation for College of Pharmacy
The College of Pharmacy (CPH) at Qatar University (QU) has received accreditation for its Continuing Professional Pharmacy Development (CPPD) programme from the Supreme Council of Health’s Qatar Council for Health Practitioners. The CPPD programme provides continuing professional development workshops to practicing pharmacists in Qatar, and monitors their knowledge and skills before and after each session. As a result of this accreditation, pharmacists can claim their QU CPPD continuing education sessions towards their mandatory Supreme Council for Health continuing education hours that are tied to their re-licensure to work in Qatar. In 2011, three years after the programme’s inception, the College adopted international competencies under the Canada-based National Association of Pharmacy Regulatory Authorities, which have also been endorsed by the SCH’s Medical Licensure Department and Pharmacy and Drug Regulation Department, as well as Hamad Medical Corporation Pharmacy Practice Committee and Qatar Petroleum Medical Services. CPH acting dean Dr Sherief Khalifa described the accreditation as an important milestone for the College and a critical endorsement of the programme. “The College of Pharmacy is now the first and only accredited professional pharmacy development provider in Qatar. We expect this to have significant positive impact on patient outcomes, the pharmacy profession and the society as a whole.” Dr Khalifa thanked the CCPD co-ordinator and CPH assistant professor Dr Nadir Kheir and the CPPD team members Sahar Shamseddine, Tammy King, Mohamed Najjar and Iman Abdelaziz. “The achievement is an indication of quality, high standards and best practices of the CPPD programme,” he added. Gold seized from Doha passenger at Kolkata airport
Customs authorities at Kolkata airport in India on Saturday arrested a passenger arriving from Doha with 1.3kg gold hidden in his shoe soles, the Times of India newspaper reported yesterday. The Qatar Airways passenger, identified by the daily as Raiz Ahmad, was taken into custody as soon as he cleared immigration. Sources said the customs were on the lookout for the Karnataka native after a tip-off. During questioning, Ahmad revealed the gold was hidden in the cavity of his shoe soles. The customs authorities in Kolkata have had a rich haul in recent times, according to the newspaper. This is the third smuggling bust in the past fortnight and sixth in the past couple of months. In all, customs officers have netted over 7kg gold and 6kg silver. In several of the cases, the gold had been concealed in the body of the smuggler to avoid detection. But the attempts were foiled as authorities there had specific intelligence inputs on their movement and were lying in wait at the airport for the passengers to land. With Ahmad, the modus operandi is back to classical smuggling. All the smuggling attempts have either been through the Gulf or Bangkok, the Times of India added.
Al Wakra Hospital seeks accreditation Al Wakra Hospital is planning to apply for the Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation next March. The hospital was opened in December 2012 and the emergency department treated nearly 7,000 patients in May alone. Of that, 1,200 were treated at the Women’s Emergency department and nearly 2,000 patients at the Dentistry department. A further 900 patients were treated by the Physiotherapy department. In May, the hospital received 124 inpatient admissions, 14 had been referred by Hamad General Hospital. Since its opening, the hospital has done 1,376 surgeries Al Wakra also has a full complement of specialised clinics to serve the healthcare needs of the population. The Cardiology clinic sees an average of 18 patients daily and there are currently no waiting lists for the service. In other developments, the Endocrinology (diabetes) clinic and the ear, nose and throat (ENT) clinic are both fully operational while the Ophthalmology clinic is due to open to the public in July. All of the hospital’s clinical facilities are fully operational and have seen a significant increase in the number of patients being treated at the state-of-the-art hospital. Its areas of specialty include general medicine, general surgery, paediatrics and paediatric emergency, obstetrics and gynaecology. The hospital provides comprehensive, high quality healthcare to people of all ages, from emergency care, to general medicine and surgery and highly specialised treatments. Cases requiring specialised healthcare services are referred to specialty facilities, including the Heart Hospital, the National Centre for Cancer Care and Research and Women’s Hospital. Al Wakra Hospital has not only been designed to meet most of the present needs of the communities it serves, but has also the potential to expand in the future and introduce a wider range of more specialised services. With a staff of nearly 3,000, including more than 200 doctors, the six-storey hospital houses emergency departments for adults, children and maternity as well as 86 critical care and observation beds and the diagnostic imaging department is equipped with MRI and CT scanners.
Demolition plans: Breather for traders in Al Ghanim area By Ramesh Mathew/Staff Reporter Operators of several commercial establishments in the city’s busy Frij al Ghanim area have got a reprieve as the municipal authorities have allowed them to continue functioning from their existing premises for “some more time”, Gulf Times has learnt. It may be recalled that parts of the area have been earmarked for demolition, which will be carried out as part of the city’s beautification programme. The owner of a commercial outlet said it was unlikely that the demolition of buildings in the area would be carried out during the summer. “The local authorities have asked us to continue operating from our existing premises for the time being. They have not specified any timeframe,” another shop owner said. While a section of those running commercial houses in Al Ghanim welcomed the authorities’ decision and was hopeful of continuing to do business from the existing premises, others felt it was not advisable to hang on to the place for long as the demolition could be carried out any time along A-Ring Road, as announced by the authorities some time ago. Recently, the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) awarded a design and supervision contract for rebuilding the road – among others - as part of its ambitious expressway programme. It is reliably learnt that the operators of several commercial establishments in the locality have been exempted from paying rent by their landlords. While many shop owners continue to enjoy this benefit, others have moved to alternative locations in other parts of the city. Some of the operators have taken possession of rooms in Barwa Village though they will remain in the locality (Al Ghanim) for some more time as they are not paying any rent right now, it is learnt. Explaining why he chose to relocate to Barwa Village, a shopkeeper said: “Though rooms are available in some other city locations, there is no guarantee that we can stay there for long as such places, too, can face demolition any time in the next one or two years.” While there are reports about the development of A-Ring and B-Ring roads and the consequent acquisition of land, residents of Al Ghanim’s inner lanes hope they would be able to remain in the area for at least a few more years. Interestingly, new outlets and offices are still moving to the area; most of these do not face the main A-Ring Road. Office set up for workers’ guidance
The Ministry of Labour, in co-ordination with the Supreme Judiciary Council, has established a guidance office at the Primary Court building in Dafna, local daily Arrayah has reported. The office will offer guidance to workers and provide translation services necessary for the facilitation of legal procedures. It is located on the fourth floor of the court building, the report says. Meanwhile, recent statistics of the ministry’s recruitment directorate showed that it received 54 labour-related complaints, of which 24 cases were settled while the others were pending. The directorate also got 2,504 new recruitment applications, of which 1,938 were approved and 566 rejected in the same period, according to the report. 2,393 widows in country, 63% of them Qatari The Qatar Statistics Authority (QSA) has revealed that there are 2,393 widows in the country and 63% of them are Qatari women, local daily Arrayah has reported. On the occasion of International Widows Day, the QSA said widows comprised 2.2% of the total population of women in the country. It also specified that most widows fell in the category of 55 years and above, the report added.
ACS Doha International School to open Grade 10
ACS Doha International School yesterday announced the opening of Grade 10 for students aged 15-16, as part of the school’s ongoing High School expansion for the coming 2013-2014 school year. Grades 11 and 12 will be opened in subsequent years, enabling the school to eventually enroll students up to age 18. This is planned as a response to the continuous enrollment growth being felt in Doha and the school’s commitment to providing quality education opportunities for children in Qatar, a school official said. The school is working towards gaining authorisation as an IB World School for the IB Middle Years Program (11-16) and Diploma Program (16-18). Investment seminar
Engineers Forum is holding a seminar on “Successfully investing in Kerala” this evening at Oryx Rotana Hotel on the Airport Road. Kerala State Planning Board member and founder CEO of Technopark Thiruvananthapuram G Vijayaraghavan will deliver the keynote lecture. The meeting is scheduled for 7pm start, said the organisers.