NEWS FROM THE U.A.E.
Excerpts from U.A.E. Dailies
Express visa service launched in Abu Dhabi
ABU DHABI — 24 January 2006: The Abu Dhabi Naturalisation and Residency Department (ADNRD) has introduced a new service to issue express visa and residence permits. The department charges an additional Dh100 to the already existing fees for the service.
An official source told Khaleej Times that with the new service, introduced for the first time, transactions would be finalised in a day.
The new facility has been introduced on the directives of Lieutenant-General Shaikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Minister of Interior, who urged the department's officers to provide excellent services to the applicants in a way that takes into account their specific circumstances which necessitate express issuance of visas or residence permits, the source said.
"The department has made several changes with the aim of upgrading the standards of its services by designating the first floor of the visa section for express visas and residence permits," the source said.
The number of employees at the counters at the visa and residency sections was increased and the working hours will continue uninterrupted from 7.45am to 8.45pm to finalise all transactions of individuals and companies," he noted.
According to the sources, the hall in which the residence visa transactions are submitted and processed was expanded to accommodate the doubled number of the visitors. The applicants' number call system was cancelled and more seats were placed in front of the counter officers.
The new system, he said, has been designed to stop confining the numbers to those who show up before 12 noon. It will also enable the applicants to report at any time throughout the 12 working hours every day and sit on the seats before the counter officers waiting for their turn, he added.
The new system has put an end to long queues and enabled applicants to have their transactions finalised at any time in the morning and evening, the source said adding that the visa section is still using the number call system which functions all the time during the working hours and not until 12noon only.
Meanwhile, Brigadier Mohammed Salem Al Khaili, Acting Director of Naturalisation and Residency Department at the Ministry of Interior, yesterday conducted an inspection visit to the department in Abu Dhabi where he urged the employees to upgrade the standard of services to the people in accordance with the directives of the minister.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Paid parking and one-way roads 'will ease congestion'
Abu Dhabi: 24 January 2006:The National Consultative Council (NCC) on Monday proposed a metered parking system and one-way roads in the heart of the capital to help solve Abu Dhabi's traffic problems.
The proposal was made ina report reviewed at yesterday's meeting.
The eight-page report was prepared by a house committee after several meetings with Abu Dhabi Municipality and Agriculture Department and Traffic and Patrols Department of Abu Dhabi Police.
The council proposed that a one-way traffic system in the city and an effective solution to the growing problem of parking will eliminate congestion in the heart of the city.
The house suggested the parking problem can be solved by introducing metered parking on roads in commercial areas.
The council also asked the local government to establish a Central Authority for Roads and Traffic Safety with the task of drawing up traffic policies, helping developing road networks and introducing safety standards.
The council also suggested any construction of new projects and residential and commercial buildings should only be approved after considering all the traffic movement and parking requirements.
The council said parking spaces should be allowed according to the capacity of these projects and buildings.
According to the report, there is a lack cooperation and coordination between the traffic and municipality departments, resulting in traffic problems.
The house was told the traffic department has told the committee 135,000 fines were issued for parking offences last year, which is 17 per cent of the total offences committed.
"Thirty per cent of the total registered vehicles were fined for offences, which shows how the situation has deteriorated," the house was told.
The traffic department, according to the report, has complained most of the road projects, planning and construction activities are being done without their consultation, which they said was causing the traffic woes.
The report noted another reason for the problem was the presence of all service providing organisations inside the city.
One of the members, Mohammad Rashid Al Nassiri, said the existing Eastern Ring Road in the capital is not of world standard. He said: "No ring roads any where in the world have traffic signals or roundabouts. Ring roads mean uninterrupted flow of traffic, no traffic signal or any other point where vehicles are forced to stop."
Statistics
135,000 fines issued last year
95 per cent of Abu Dhabi intersections controlled at Traffic Control Centre electronically
80 per cent of the intersections are monitored by cameras, while 45 of them are fitted with cameras to monitor jumping of red lights
11,000 vehicles stop at Abu Dhabi traffic intersections at every hour
23 to 40 per cent of the total registered vehicles are private taxis.
The annual increase in the number of public and private vehicles is 5 per cent. Demand for parking space in the capital has increased by 20 per cent
Roads and parking areas cover 41 per cent of the entire land of Abu Dhabi city with 17 per cent in the heart of the city
135,000 fines issued for parking offences alone last year, accounting 17 per cent of all the offences
Abu Dhabi Traffic and Patrols Department receives 350 calls a day reporting illegal parking of vehicles.
Only 2 per cent of Abu Dhabi city population uses public transport
GULF NEWS
Congestion charge proposed to ease traffic woes
Abu Dhabi: 24 January 2006: The Municipality and Agriculture Department of Abu Dhabi has suggested imposing a fee on vehicles on certain busy streets of the city during peak hours.
The suggestion was made during discussions with members of a committee of the National Consultative Council (NCC), which was reviewed by the council at yesterday's session.
The department suggested levying fees on the use of busy streets and roads at peak hours will help solve the problem of traffic jams in the city. It also suggested moving certain commercial and entertainment centres outside the city.
The Abu Dhabi Traffic and Patrols Department, however, regretted that most infrastructure projects are planned without considering the requirements of traffic flow and without consulting the authorities concerned.
"Due to heavy congestion, emergency vehicles, such as civil defence vehicles, ambulances and traffic patrols, find it very difficult to reach accident spots," an NCC report said.
The traffic department suggested introducing a public transport system, having a more effective ring road and moving all car showrooms out of the city.
GULF NEWS
Man killed after driver jumps red light at Hor Al Anz interchange
Dubai: 24 JANUARY 2006:A man was killed at the Hor Al Anz interchange yesterday.
Police said woman driver who had jumped the red signal hit the man who was on the right lane.
Three other people were killed and two injured in separate road accidents in the past two days in different areas of Dubai, a police report said yesterday.
The first accident occurred when a 29-year-old driver was reportedly speeding on Al Ittihad Road. As a result, the car swerved to the left side and slammed into the metal barrier. Due to the impact, the car swerved to the opposite road and collided with another vehicle whose driver was seriously injured and rushed to hospital.
In another accident, an Asian worker died after he was hit by a mechanised shovel on the University City Road.
In a similar accident, an unknown man died on the spot after being run over by a speeding car in Al Safiyah area. The man was trying to cross the road.
In the forth accident, a man died after he was hit by a car on Al Rasheed Road. The car later collided with another vehicle, killing its driver.
GULF NEWS
New health insurance scheme for residents will be cheaper
Abu Dhabi: 24 January 2006:A planned nationwide insurance scheme ready for implementation by year-end will be cheaper than current policies, an official told Gulf News.
Hamad Abdul Rahman Al Midfa, Minister of Health, announced on Sunday that the new insurance policy would improve medical services.
Hassan Al Alkeim, Undersecretary of the ministry, told Gulf News that the scheme will be "cheaper" and divided into three categories.
"Residents can choose to be insured on primary healthcare, hospital services or have full coverage on all medical services."
He said the project is being handled by the Ministry of Finance but provided by the health ministry.
"A newly established council will supervise the project. The council will ensure that insurance prices in the UAE are not too high, so insurance companies will not have the freedom to randomly increase prices."
He added that the council will regulate the relationship between the insurance company, the hospital and the employer.
GULF NEWS
ATM user yet to get fake note replaced
Dubai: 24 January 2006: "The bank owes me a genuine Dh500 note," said Mohammad Kamran who was dispensed a fake currency note from a Automated Teller Machine(ATM).
"Imagine ATM dispensing fake currency notes. It is frightening," he said.
On January 18 at around 8pm, Kamran had withdrawn Dh2,200 from an ATM located in Sharjah's Yarmook area. As he was counting the amount, he said that he felt a difference in the texture of the Dh500 note. His experience as a chief technician in a photo imaging company came in handy and he could at once spot the difference.
"I used the same bank ATM in which I hold an account. The moment I realised the nature of the currency I telephoned the bank's toll-free number," said Kamran.
"I narrated the whole incident to a customer service lady who was on the line. I asked her categorically whether I should report the matter with the police or with the bank. She informed me that I should go to any of their branches and report the matter. I was also told that I can get my fake currency exchanged," he added.
The next day he reported the incident to a supervisor in the bank's branch office in Jebel Ali. After a brief question and answer session between him and the bank officials Kamran was asked to fill in a dispute claim form and hand over the fake currency.
"The bank officials were asking questions to verify the credibility of my complaint. It was okay with it and answered all their queries to their satisfaction. They then forwarded a verbal apology to me for the inconvenience but for me that was not the solution I was looking for. I was short Dh500," he said.
Kamran said that the bank did not provide him with a clear answer as to whether they would replace the fake currency with a genuine note. "I was told that the fake currency matter is being dealt with by their head office and that it would take awhile before they would be able to give me a reply," he said.
"The reason why I am quite adamant on getting to the core of the entire episode is to make others aware that they should check the money that is dispensed by ATMs. They should take immediate action by reporting the matter to the authorities before it is too late," added Kamran.
The bank supervisor when contacted told Gulf News that an investigation is underway.
"The matter is now with our head office. I have forwarded the entire thing to the investigation team," said the supervisor.
Money exchange owners and bank officials said that cases of counterfeit currency are dealt seriously by the authorities concerned.
"The individual who got the fake currency should have gone to the police and not to the bank. The bank should also inform the matter to the police," said a bank official.
A money exchange owner said: "The machine available in the market to detect counterfeit currency is not 100 per cent foolproof. Ultimately we do come across instances of fake currency. It also depends on how experienced the teller is."
Check the texture
Police had earlier told Gulf News that fakes can easily be detected by touch. Ninety per cent of the time the counterfeit money has a smooth finish, compared to original money.
The genuine notes will feature watermarks, a security thread embedded in the fibres and fluorescent ink that shows up under ultraviolet light. Real notes have raised printing and some have holograms as well.
GULF NEWS
Schoolgirl dies after being hit by car in Al Ain
Al Ain: 24 January 2006: A teenage girl was killed when a car allegedly jumped a red light and hit her near Al Ain Mall on Sunday evening.
Neethu Chandran, 16, a Grade 11 pupil, was crossing Omar Bin Al Khitab Street along with her six-year-old brother Yedu Chandran. She was on her way home after attending a tuition class. Her brother escaped injury.
Police yesterday confirmed the accident but refused to give any details. The driver was arrested late at night.
K. Bala Chandran, Neethu's father, said it was a hit-and-run case.
"My child's life could have been spared if the driver had stopped."
According to close family friends and relatives, Neethu was crossing the street at around 7.30pm when the green signal for pedestrians was on.
"The car with an Omani registration plate jumped the red light and hit her," said Abu Bakar, a friend of Chandran.
The car hurled Neethu several metres. She suffered serious injuries and died before help could arrive. Chandran, who runs a photo studio in Al Ain, said he used to drop and pick up his children every day for tuition.
"Yesterday [Sunday] I had gone to Al Wagan and the children went on foot," he said. Neethu's body was moved to the morgue at Al Ain Hospital. Her father was yesterday trying to complete formalities to take her body to India.
"We will take her body tomorrow [Tuesday] to Thiruvananthapuram in south India if the paperwork gets done by then," Chandran said.
Chandran has lived in Al Ain for 17 years.
Classmates and teachers in shock
The untimely death of Neethu Chandran has shocked her friends, classmates and teachers at the Indian School in Al Ain.
Neelam Upadhyay, Principal of the school, said everybody at the school was shocked by Neethu's death.
"We are all shocked and grief-stricken over the tragic death of our student," said the principal.
The principal said it was a great loss for her parents and the school had lost a good and well-behaved student.
GULF NEWS
Treatments for polyneuropathy cut amputations in diabetics by 90pc
ABU DHABI — 24 January 2006:Treatments for diabetic polyneuropathy have reduced amputations in diabetic patients by over 90 per cent, said Prof J Burke, who was invited to present a lecture on Peripheral Diabetic Neuropathy during the Diabetic congress, a part of the Arab Health 2006, yesterday.
Speaking to Khaleej Times, Prof Burke said that diabetic polyneuropathy improves blood flow to organs and limbs thereby preventing complicated diseases.
"Since diabetes affects the nerves, there is no sensation of pain which later leads to falls and balance problems and then to wounds and amputations," said Prof Burke.
"Pain, sensory neuropathy, wounds and amputations are all a result of poor circulation which is due, in part, to endothelial cell dysfunction and low levels of nitric oxide," he added.
He also said that better circulation is critical to helping patients with diabetes so as to decrease pain, restore sensation, prevent falls and heal wounds.
"A new method to treat and improve blood circulation is Mire (Monochromatic InfraRed photo Energy) which increases circulation locally and naturally," explained Prof Burke.
He said that Mire was also important for wound healing as it increases circulation and helps in the growth of new blood vessels. He said that Mire is effective for pain relief, neuropathy, gait and balance as well because it is non-invasive, local, and causes a drug-free release of nitric oxide from hemoglobin.
Dr Burke said that erectile dysfunction could also be treated with the use of Mire because it increases circulation at the site of treatment. It can also be used to treat diabetic ulcers, pressure ulcers, venous stasis ulcers, arterial ulcers, gangrene and post-op.
KHALEEJ TIMES
Labour ministry will process cases of sick and dead first
ABU DHABI — 24 January 2006:The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs has set into motion a process by which it will rectify the status of all companies and employees, with a view to sorting out special cases of sick employees, or employees who died even before labour cards were issued to them, an official at the ministry's office in Abu Dhabi said yesterday.
The official said that the ministry took into consideration special cases such as a worker who died or was found to have a contagious disease before a labour card was issued, or if the card expired before or after the date of death.
"If a contagious disease is diagnosed in an employee, the employer should file an application for 'cancellation of the labour card/dead labourer', along with an attested death certificate, or apply for 'cancellation of labour card/sick with a contagious disease' along with a certificate from the Preventive Medicine Department," he added.
The official said that the ministry included all possible cases and provided specified applications for each one, in order not to give companies any excuse for not adjusting the status of their staff.
He also praised the decision of the Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, Dr Ali bin Abdullah Al Kaabi as regards the grant of a two-month period for companies since the start of the year to adjust the status of employees, with low fines imposed for not issuing or not renewing labour cards for more than a year, as the fines will not exceed the maximum limits of Dh5,000 for each labourer, which used to reach as high as Dh35,000.
The controversial decision (number 19/2005) to raise fines, which led to failure of individuals and companies in adjusting their status, was endorsed by the cabinet, and it stated that the delay in renewing or issuing labour cards would result in Dh5,000 fine for every year (or a part of it), without any maximum limits on the fines.
This is in consideration of the fact that earlier companies delayed labour card status adjustment indefinitely, as the fine remained the same irrespective of the number of years.
According to Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs statistics, this led to the violation of Labour Card Law by more than 250,000 workers, as their establishments did not adjust their status by issuing, renewing or updating their status in the ministry's records.
KHALEEJ TIMES
SUICIDES ON THE RISE AMONG EXPAT INDIANS LIVING IN UAE
U.A.E. : 23 January 2006:Suicides among expatriate Indians are increasing alarmingly in AGCC countries, reveals a recent study released by the Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust. There were three suicides recorded of people...Hailing from the southern Indian state of Kerala, in the UAE last week, one in Dubai and two in Sharjah.
Over the last three months, the number of reported suicides in the UAE among Indians were 20, of which a majority were Keralites, the report said. And in the last one year total suicide cases reported among Indian expatriates were more than 60 in the UAE alone. Majority of suicide cases reported involved people from Kerala and other Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
The study attributes financial crisis as one of the main reasons for these suicides. The cost of living has sky rocketed in the UAE, while monthly income has not increased. Most expatriates arrive in the UAE with lot of expectations by paying hefty sums for employment visa and nurturing great expectations from life, which are often not fulfilled by their sponsors, upon reaching their workplace.
According to K V Shamsudeen, Chairman of the Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust, the general habit of Indian emigrants observed in the Gulf is that once they reach their host country, they forget about themselves and start to live only for their dependents back home who in turn start living with extraordinary comforts and demand more money from their non-resident breadwinner.
Many expatriates in the region complain that their families back home do not realise the real situation and fail to recognise their hardships and sacrifices.
The families often consider the breadwinner in the Gulf to be a money-minting machine and expect money remittances as soon as they reach the Gulf countries on their jobs.
Besides, Shamsudeen attributes heavy debts from banks and private moneylenders as well as credit card loans by expatriate workers having resulted in stress for these workers
He added that the living conditions of these middle and low-income people is also very pathetic. “Many of them do not have comfortable accommodation. Bachelors are forced to share a room with half a dozen other people due to the high rents here. Conditions of expat families is worse. Often, three to four families with children are forced to share two bedroom apartments with one common kitchen.”
“Those living in labour camps are living under more pathetic conditions,” the study reports, stating, lack of proper sanitary facilities in labour camps invites many socio-psychological problems for the expatriate workers. “Earlier, friends were ready to share and discuss the feelings, pains, difficulties and job problems of expatriates and would often help each other. But, this region has turned into a very busy place with long working hours leaving people with very little or no time to socialise and meet up friends and well wishers to share their problems. Good social relations with friends and relatives under the present environment is simply not possible.”
Further, the current problems have also affected marital relationships with many husbands forced to leave their wives back home. Besides, those who live with their family in the region are faced with a number of other socio-economic issues and need counselling to save their deteriorating relationships with their spouses, it was highlighted.
Dowry is another major issue faced by many expatriates forced to borrow money to pay off for their daughter's or sister's wedding, it was revealed.
The study also highlights that since husbands work long hours at their offices in the UAE, the women get addicted to TV serials and soaps which have aggravated the problems further driving families to commit suicide. Suicides are presented in these TV serials as a very common solution for many family and social problems, the report points out.
Alcoholism is another reason for suicide, the report states, disclosing that in labour camps there are people supplying alcohol on credit against hefty interest rate.
Shamsudeen pointed out that the trust has made several initiatives to interact with people who have reached the brink of committing suicide. “From the experience, we realised that if we are ready to listen to their plights, miseries and problems and ready to console them and give some kind of counselling, we can help bring back such people to lead normal life,” he explained.
As a result, the Pravasi Bandhu Welfare Trust has recently launched a service called ‘Sandwanam’ for people who are on the brink of these crisis. Pravasi Bandhu Welfare has made arrangements with psychiatrist and sociologist to provide counselling to needy people. Those suffering from depression in the UAE can get help by calling on 00-971-50-6467801. This service will be available for all nationalities.
In addition, psychiatrists and sociologists who are ready to join the ‘Sandwanam’' team can also contact on the same number, Shamsudeen said, appealing to all socio-cultural organisations which have strength of members and resources to set up counselling centres in various parts of the AGCC.
KHALEEJ TIMES