Cabinet reviews draft law concerning rights of people with special needs

QNA/Doha

The weekly Cabinet meeting, chaired by HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Mahmoud, yesterday reviewed a draft law amending some provisions of law No 2 of 2004 dealing with people with special needs.

The meeting also reviewed a Cabinet draft law concerning some rights of the people with disabilities.

The draft law provides for caring for the people with disabilities and securing their rights, including exempting them from all taxes and fees on rehabilitating, medical, educational, technical and compensatory devices and means of transport set for their use.

 The Cabinet reviewed the issues on the meeting’s agenda:

The Cabinet took note of HE the Minister of State for Interior Affairs concerning the annual report of the permanent committee for drugs and narcotics.

The Cabinet approved the draft decision of the minister of environment concerning terms and measures of exploiting the soft sand and the soil excavated from the drilling of state enterprises.

The meeting discussed a letter of HE the Minister of Business and Trade concerning the following :

A- The estimate budget to participate in the Expo 2015 Milan due to kick off on 01/05 to 31/10/2013.

B- A draft ministerial decision naming the members of the ad hoc committee to prepare for the exhibition.

The Cabinet also approved  the following:

1- Signing the protocol of stamping out illegal trade in tobacco products.

2- A draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) on co-operation and protection of environment field between the governments of Qatar and Oman.

 

Media awareness in focus at QCMF student event

The Doha Center for Media  Freedom (DCMF) held  the annual  ‘media excellence award’ for the first time, with the participation of school children at different levels.

About 300 students  received training at a programme conducted by the centre, where the main focus was on media literacy.

The ceremony was held with the participation of a number of media representatives and representatives of civil society organisations.

The main objective of the programme  was to enhance comprehension and assessment of the news, according to the centre officials.

The programme, they said, provided a set of tools for the development of critical thinking, which could be applied to any “product” or a media environment.

At the training programme students are taught to learn the nature of the news while they plan their own reports. Some students work independently to portray the news. They learn how to plan for the report, and how to operate the camera on display techniques and interviewing.  The practical experience gained from audio and visual materials is another feature.

Each group gets the “portable studio” to record his school news in a period ranging between one and seven days. Each school is divided into teams consisting of 4 students. These students film their own news stories, preparing the texts, presentations and they use the flip video camera and microphone for interviews.

At the end of the programme, grade students visit a real newsroom for a tour and view their own news programmes.

There were  awards for best video, appreciation award, best director award, best broadcaster award, best photographer award and best product award.

Video awards: 1. Al Wakra Secondary School for Boys, 2. Al Shamal Preparatory Secondary School for Girls, Abu Bakar Al Siddique Preparatory School for Boys, 3. Khalid bin Ahmed Preparatory School for Boys. The best producer: Al Hekma International School Mamoura. The best director: Al Ahnaf Bin Qais Preparatory School for Boys.  

The best camera women: Maimoona Pimary School for Girls, The best journalist: Abdurrahman Bin Jassem Preparatory Secondary School for Boys.

Appreciation award: Al Khor Model School for Boys.

Appreciation certificates were given to Director of Education at the Supreme Education Council Haya al-Kuwari and Media & Communication Manager Aisha al-Kuwari.

Among those present were  News Department Manager at Qatar News Agency  Abdullah al-Mothafar,  director of Qatar Orphan Foundation Dhreima Khaled Kamal, General Director of Childhood Cultural Centre  Dr Hend al-Muftah, Associate Professor and Acting Chair of Mass Communication Department at Qatar University Dr Mahmoud Galander.

 

Expansion plans for key health centres

The Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has plans to expand health centres at the airport, Al Rayyan and Gharaffa, local daily Arrayah has reported.

The plans include increasing the number of clinics for both men and women and introducing a new system for appointments at the specialised clinics. This, says the report, will help reduce the waiting time at the centres.

The corporation confirmed that as it was concerned about the comfort and convenience of patients, it had plans to enhance waiting space at the centres and find a solution to the parking problems there.

On the issue of overcrowding at women’s clinics, the PHCC said work was under way to expand all the clinics, especially the ones meant for pregnant women, according to the report.

Citing the example of the Mesaimeer centre, the PHCC said the number of days (per week) for check-ups of pregnant women went up from three to four. This would be further increased to six days a week and the clinics would gradually feature a system of electronic appointments. The corporation asserted that its entire medical staff was highly qualified.

The PHCC’s plans include the allocation of clinics for only Qatari and GCC nationals.

In the long run, the corporation will implement its development plans at 13 locations, including health centres at Madinat Khalifa, Umm Salal, Muntazah, Omar Ibn al-Khattab, West Bay, Umm Ghuwailina, Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq and Abu Nakhla, says the report.

 

 

Europe the ‘preferred destination’ for citizens

Officials in the country’s travel and tourism agencies say Europe seems to be the most favoured destination for citizens this summer, as suggested by booking trends in the run-up to the holiday season, local daily Arrayah has reported.

The preferred period of stay is June and July, when the weather is expected to be mild in places like Great Britain and France. The other in-demand destinations include Spain, Germany and Turkey, the report adds.

A considerable number of Qatari nationals also travel to destinations in Asia during the summer. The first preference is Thailand, followed by Singapore, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. 

Newly married Qatari youths, on the other hand, prefer to fly to the Maldives and Seychelles.

As far as travel to the Arab countries is concerned, Qatari nationals prefer Egypt. A large number of citizens also go to Saudi Arabia for Umrah in the holy month of Ramadan, says the report.

Dubai is said to be a major destination for Qataris through the year.

 

Lecture  on Doha’s  heritage

University College London Qatar (UCL Qatar) will host a lecture and a workshop exploring Doha’s historical urban heritage.

Slated for April 24-25, the workshop will bring together historians, archaeologists, architects, urban planners and heritage specialists to document Doha’s historical development, examine what remains of this living legacy and discuss the role “Old Doha” has to play in the future formation of
the city.

Despite rapid development, remnants of Old Doha still survive in central areas, with much more buried as archaeological remains. These fragments of the past form part of Qatar’s cultural heritage and have influenced the work of architects and scholars involved in the design and planning of modern urban living.

To launch the workshop, Dr Robert Carter, senior lecturer in Arab Archaeology at UCL Qatar, and Tim Makower, Makower Architects, will deliver a lecture on April 23 at the Museum of Islamic Art, entitled “Doha: Past, Present and Future”.

Dr Carter said: “The UCL Qatar workshop will help identify the areas of greatest interest and greatest threat to the historic fabric and archaeology of Doha. Archaeological remains are finite and diminishing resources and research is urgently required to record, conserve and reinterpret this legacy, so that it may enrich the lives of future
generations.”

Dr Carter will explore the development of the urban landscape of Old Doha, from its origins in pearl fishing, adjustment with the arrival of oil and gas, through to the present day. Tim Makower will demonstrate how Doha’s past is referenced strongly in contemporary Qatari architecture and has provided an inspiration for urban
regeneration.

 

Power supply to building in Doha Jadeed  disconnected

The power supply to the commercial establishments and residences in a complex in Doha Jadeed, opposite to Shara al-Asmakh, was cut off yesterday by the representative of the building’s owner, apparently for the failure of some of the tenants to settle the utility bills, according to sources.

One of the tenants said the power was cut off by the owner’s representative in the morning. When the tenants contacted Qatar General Electricity and Water Corporation (Kahramaa) its officials expressed their helplessness. As a result, most offices located in the building were closed earlier than usual in the afternoon.

Asked if the occupants had received any demolition notice prior to the disconnection of electricity, one of the tenants said no tenant had reported receiving any notice from any office until yesterday.

 

ISO certification for Sendian

The  Sendian Group has recently been recognised with ISO (International Organisational for Standardisation) certification for trading and contracting activities.

Velosi Quality Management International delivered the certificate  ISO  9001:2008 for Quality Management System.

The ISO certificates underline Sendian Group’s quality and services best practices as well as the company’s capacity to develop, lead and manage world-class Trading and contracting  systems, according to a company statement . The certification has been awarded to the group for  best quality practices adopted for supply of fly ash,  paints, electronic appliances and security systems with installation for civil construction, it said.

 

Condolence cables sent

HH the Emir  Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani, HH the Deputy Emir and Heir Apparent Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani and HE the Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor al-Thani have sent  cables  to Algeria’s  President Abdelaziz Bouteflika condoling the death of the former president of the Supreme Council of the State in Algeria Ali Kafi.