Session adjourned - Gulf Daily News

6Gulf Daily NewsTuesday, 25th June 2013Sack minister callBy Basma MohammedAN MP yesterday calledfor Health MinisterSadiq Al Shehabi tobe sacked amid allegationshe has failed tomeet needs of sickle cellpatients.Ali Shamtoot raised aplacard with the demandduring the extraordinaryparliament session.The MP, who himselfis a sickle cell patient,accused the minister offailing to properly followup the cases of sickle cellpatients and had blood onhis hands.OutburstHis angry outburst cameduring a debate about howto better treat sickle cellpatients and ensure thedevelopment of services aswell as assigning a nationalcommittee to study suchdiseases.“If the Health Ministerhad been following casesand issues of sickle cellpatients fewer deaths couldhave been recorded,” MrShamtoot claimed.“Therefore I call in thename of the people to sackthe minister and urge thePremier to dismiss him.”Mr Shamtoot thenstormed out of the session.“We need to understandStalemate ends as MPs approve budgetA SEVEN-MONTH stalemate overBahrain’s national budget has ended afterMPs approved it yesterday.The delayed budget for this year andnext year was approved by 23 of the30 MPs present at yesterday’s extraordinaryparliament session at the NationalAssembly Complex in Gudaibiya.It was passed after more than 30 minutesof discussions, when parliamentchairman Dr Khalifa Al Dhahrani forcedthe legislators to vote instead of restartingdebate on the issue.It means 45,000 civil servants will notreceive a 15 per cent pay rise, which wasa key reason for MPs rejecting the budgetlast month.Bahrain Bloc president Ahmed Al Saati,who was among the MPs that pushed forthe budget’s approval, stressed the needfor the government to tackle corruption toresolve the country’s economic problem.“The government needs to create acommittee consisting of economic andmanagerial experts to solve the economiccrisis in the country,” he said during thesession, which marked the last of the legislativesemester.“Bahrainis are dependent on allowancesand government schemes and thegovernment should take new measures toresolve problems.”His comments were reiterated by MPIsa Al Qadi, who speculated delays inpassing the budget could be repeated in2015 if the government does not diversifyincome streams.“We cannot rely on oil and should followdirectives of the Crown Prince to diversifyincome streams away from oil.”Mr Al Qadi was one of sevenMPs who rejected the budget.MPs rejected the budgetafter lengthy negotiations lastmonth, despite the governmentmaking several concessions.However, it was sent back tothem for the second time afterbeing revised and approved bythe Shura Council.Parliament second vice-chairmanShaikh Adel Al Maawada said the budgetwas initially rejected to pressure the governmentto meet people’s demands.“The government’s insistence to rejectthe 15 per cent increase demanded by MPswas clear,” he said.“But we cannot leave the budget withoutapproval or it will affect many peopleas well as projects.”Parliament financial and economicaffairs committee chairwoman Latifa AlGaoud agreed, saying that delaying thebudget further would have significantlyaffected Bahrain’s difficult economic situation.“It is not beneficial to call for increasein salaries when production levels arelow.”Ali Shamtoot, who arrivedat the chamber after the budgetdiscussion had ended, heldup a sign reading “Increase isa nation’s demand”.Meanwhile, FinanceMinister Shaikh Ahmed binMohammed Al Khalifa hitback at MPs and said hisministry was working with the NationalAssembly committees to discuss all issuesregarding the budget.“Some MPs are saying there is possiblecorruption, and I say if they have proofI would personally go with them to filethe case at responsible bodies for audits,”he said.“On diversifying income resources, weMr Shamtoot’s feelings asbeing one of the sufferers ofthis disease,” said MP AbdullaAl Dossary.“The government needs toquickly ensure steps are beingtaken to serve those patientsand provide them with propermedical attention.“This proposal should beraised directly to the government,instead of appointing acommittee to study it and takingforever to implement recommendations.”MP Adel Al Ma’awadacalled for the minister and governmentofficials to be presentin parliament so they could beheld to account.“The issue should not beraised to the government butthe government should come tothe parliament and face questions,”he said.“We need to know whatthe ministry did since calls toestablish designated projects toserve sickle cell patients.”However, parliament chairmanDr Khalifa Al Dhahranistressed MPs needed to followthe correct protocol.“It is very easy to seek toraise the issue to the governmentand demand things,” hesaid.“But we should discussand study the issue furtherwith a designated committeewhich can question the HealthMinister and ministry officialson plans and steps.“What we are doing isaccusing the government oflacking in its duties when weneed to study the issue and seewhat the bodies concerned aredoing.”Meanwhile, Minister ofState for Parliament and ShuraCouncil Affairs Abdulaziz AlFadhel revealed the blood diseasescentre will open soon andfeature 90 beds.“It will also have anAmerican medical team workingto outline a new way todeal with sickle cell patients,”he said.“The health minister hadstressed his co-operation andreadiness to attend meetingsby the designated committee todiscuss plans.”MPs approved a decisionto raise the issue to a designatedcommittee to studyneed legislation from parliament to workon this.”Under the new budget, around 52,000breadwinners with an income of lessthan BD1,000 will be eligible to receive amonthly anti-inflation allowance.It means that 48,000 people earning lessthan BD300 will receive BD100, around48,000 people being paid BD301 to BD700will get BD70 and 10,000 people beingpaid between BD701 and BD1,000 willreceive BD50.The changes will replace the existingBD50 payout to anyone earning less thanBD700, which was introduced in 2007.The government has also agreed toincrease pensions of Bahrainis working inthe public and private sector, which willcost around BD158 million this year andnext year.However, it has refused to fund a 15 percent pay rise for 45,000 civil servants.Shaikh Ahmed said BD361m had beenallocated for the housing sector, BD831mfor education, BD676m for health andBD210m for infrastructure projects.Total aid to beneficiaries provided bythe Social Development Ministry has beenincreased by BD60m, he added.the situation. The discussionscame as a new multi-disciplinaryclinic to help sicklecell patients is scheduled toopen at Salmaniya MedicalComplex today.The GDN earlier reportedthat the pilot facility, the firstof its kind in the region, willforce patients to attend followupappointments to reduce risksof complications.A total of 14 deaths amongsickle cell patients have beenregistered this year, the last ofwhich was 21-year-old HussainAli Mirza, who died on June 18due to complications.basma@gdn.com.bhn Mr Gandhi, seated, centre, along with school officials during the Press conference15 students win key science contestFifteen pupils have been announced aswinners of Sastra Pratibha Contest.They were among 3,875 students fromseven schools in Bahrain who took part inthe competition, organised by the ScienceIndia Forum-Bahrain in association withthe National Science Movement India.Officials from schools, organisations andIndian Embassy second secretary GauravGandhi were present as the winners wereannounced during a Press conference heldat the embassy in Adliya.The top achievers secured 70 per centand above in the competition, and willbe awarded trophies and certificates at aceremony that will be held in November.The participating schools were IndianSchool, Asian School, Quality EducationSchool, New Millennium School, NewHorizon School, New Indian School andIbn Al Hytham Islamic School.