Grocery, supermarket ordered shut
Authorities have ordered the closure of a grocery and a supermarket in different parts of Qatar for violating norms, local Arabic daily Arrayah has reported.
The director of Doha Municipality has issued an administrative decision to close down Al Maliki grocery on Al Nabaa Street in Msheireb. The director of Al Wakrah Municipality, too, has issued an administrative decision for shutting down Aspernet Mart supermarket in Wukair.
The closure of Al Maliki grocery is for a month, according to a report issued by the Food Monitoring Section. Inspectors found food materials not suitable for human consumption at the grocery, posing a risk to consumers, the report adds.
Aspernet Mart, located in an Ezdan complex in Wukair, has been closed for 14 days based on a report issued by the Food Monitoring Department.
The report said the supermarket was selling food materials unfit for human consumption, according to the daily.
The Ministry of Municipality and Urban Planning continues with the publication of names of food establishments, which violate the law, on its website to enable the public to see the list of offenders against which administrative closure decisions have been issued, the report added.
Qatar condoles Afghan victims
HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and HE the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Nasser bin Khalifa al-Thani have condoled the victims of mudslide in Badakhshan Province in northeastern Afghanistan.
SCH workshop on management of epidemics
The Supreme Council of Health (SCH) is organising a training workshop on the management of epidemic diseases in collaboration with the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The workshop, which starts today in Doha and concludes on Thursday, targets SCH health workers and other officials concerned in the country.
It aims to enhance the capabilities of trainees on how to implement the preventive and precautionary measures while responding to communicable diseases.
Experts from WHO and SCH co-ordinators will deliver lectures during the workshop, where they will offer trainees a practical guide on the best practices to tackle such diseases.
84 firms prosecuted for visa trade violations
Eighty-four companies have been referred to the judiciary for violating the country’s labour law, according to Brigadier Nasser Mohamed al-Sayed, director of the Search and Follow-Up Department in the Ministry of Interior.
A report published in local Arabic daily Al Sharq quoted him as saying that these companies were prosecuted due to their involvement in the illegal visa trade.
In terms of verdicts, Brigadier al-Sayed said there were 43 rulings for prison terms and some 128 for imposition of fines on the errant companies. In addition, 1,050 people were issued orders to transfer their sponsorship from their current employers to others by the authorities concerned.
QNHG to hold monthly meeting on May 7
Qatar Natural History Group (QNHG) will hold its monthly meeting at the Doha English Speaking School on May 7 at 7pm.
The guest speaker will be Dr Cromwell Purchase, veterinary science specialist, Head of Birds and Acting Director at Al Wabra Wildlife Preservation. His talk is entitled “Saving the Rarest Parrot on the Planet: the Spix’s Macaw”.
New members are welcome to join. QNHG membership facilitates participation in archaeological and geological field trips. Further details of the talk and a map of the venue can be found in the Monthly Talks section on www.qnhg.org
Private clinics, health centres see rise in patients
Private clinics and health centres around the country have reported a significant increase in the number of patients over the past few days, local Arabic daily Arrayah has reported.
The number of locals visiting such facilities for medical treatment has gone up considerably, since the launch of the second stage of the National Health Insurance Scheme (Seha) last Wednesday. Officials of such facilities expect an even higher turnout of locals in the coming days. “We received some 120 local patients on the first day alone. Under the new system, they can register with their IDs without any fees,” said Dr Usama Hassanain, director of health insurance at Al Emadi Hospital.He said the services offered to locals in the first stage helped attract more patients and made people look forward to the implementation of the second phase. He also explained that such a turnout of customers would prompt the hospital management to think about expanding and broadening their scope of services. Similarly, Dr Fawaz Saad, director-general of Al Hayat Medical Centre, said the centre received around 200 cases during the first two days and would soon start a new branch to cater to the growing demand.
Another private health official said the new system would encourage more private medicare facilities and clinics to start operating in the country. It would also encourage positive competition among all stakeholders to provide the best services to attract more clients.