Kuwait spent millions in anti-COVID war

KUWAIT CITY: The contributions to the temporary fund to receive cash contributions from various institutions, companies and individuals to support government efforts to confront the emerging corona virus was 68.9 million dinars, reports Al-Anba daily.

The daily said the report, a copy of which has been obtained by the daily, shows 54 million dinars from the fund have been spent while about 14.9 million dinars still remain with the fund.

The report shows 46.2 million dinars were distributed over 8 items — 8.7 million dinars to provide medical devices and accessories, about 13.1 million dinars for the supply of medicines, and 4.1 million dinars for medical supplies such as sterilizers, face masks and gloves, and about 99,800 dinars to equip exhibition halls for the use of the Ministry of Health, about 3.1 million dinars to establish and equip field hospitals, health quarantines and about 655,900 dinars to design electronic platforms and information technology services.

Explained

The report explained the remainder of the money are to be used for the supply of security devices and equipment worth 6.1 million dinars and about 10 million dinars, which are entrusted to the Kuwaiti embassy in Beijing to buy the urgent needs for the Ministry of Health, indicating that all money spent was subjected to audit and approval of the concerned authority before the conclusion of contracts.

The sources said reports of commissions are baseless rumors. Meanwhile, Health Minister Sheikh Basel Al-Sabah revealed that a total of 1,086 employees in the nursing sector are Kuwaitis; 20,846 are expatriates and 530 are Bedouns, reports Al-Qabas daily.

Based on the figures above, only five percent of the employees in the sector are Kuwaitis. In response to a parliamentary question, the minister said 2,490 employees in the sector have so far resigned since 2017 till date.

He added the Civil Service Commission has been asked to include masteral and doctorate degrees in the national program for developing the skills of the nursing staff as part of the scholarship and study leave plans approved by the commission for years 2019 and 2020.