KFSD begins examination of safety & security measures in 40 quarantines
Toughen penalties for those who litter: lawyers
KUWAIT CITY, April 30: Deputy Director for Prevention Sector at Kuwait Fire Service Directorate (KFSD) Major General Khaled Al-Fahd says the role played by the department during the current coronavirus crisis has been distinct, reports Al-Rai daily.
He declared that the achievements of the Prevention Sector during the coronavirus crisis are:
Inspecting all quarantines (hotels, resorts and camps)
Examination of field hospitals and preliminary examination centers
Checking the examination centers for the returnees from traveling in Kuwait International Airport
Examining strategic stores and warehouses
Examination of cooperative societies and their stores – and gas cylinders selling branches.
Major General Fahd affirmed that the role is being played through the administration’s highlevel cooperation with government agencies to control the virus.
He indicated that KFSD, through its cooperation with Ministry of Health, has delivered 17,000 prescriptions to the homes of patients in the past three weeks by allocating 250 cars and 40 officers and non-commissioned officers for delivering medicines based on a structured mechanism.
Major General Fahd explained that KFSD examined 40 quarantine sites prepared by Ministry of Health to house coronavirus patients as well as the emergency exits to ensure their safety based on the types of quarantine.
Steps were also taken to sterilize all cars and trucks that enter Kuwait via any of the land ports and the airport as well as the field hospitals and primary emergency centers that Ministry of Health established during the crisis.
Major General Fahd highlighted that KFSD inspected 100 cooperative societies and their food warehouses to ensure compliance with health and preventive measures. He praised these measures and the cooperation shown by everyone in adhering to firefighting requirements.
He explained that KFSD did not suspend its role in the projects of strategic and continuous importance and its work in the Maternity Hospital building and the new Kuwait International Airport. The prevention team followed up their commitment to the preventive measures to ensure safety of their work, and is monitoring the factories and stores operating during the curfew period.
He praised their cooperation and commitment to the regulations.
Major General Fahd indicated that all the projects submitted by the engineering offices were studied and their plans were followed up.
He declared that KFSD receives those who wish to renew the expired firefighting license at the Citizen Service Center in Mishref area. Failure to renew does not imply issuance of citation for violation except for the stores operating during the crisis.
Major General Fahd stressed the need for the public to stay
away from rumors and follow the news from official sources, as well as adhere to the curfew, wear masks and gloves, and monitor children and prevent them from tampering with anything that may cause fire incidents.
‘Toughen penalties’:
Lawyers have stressed the need to toughen penalties for those who violate public sanitation directives, indicating that some developed countries impose heavy fines on those who pollute public places and facilities, while pointing out the need to take urgent action in this regard, reports Al-Qabas daily.
Attorney Mohammad Khreibet said “we are facing exceptional circumstances, so taking all measures to prevent the transmission of coronavirus is required. As long as there are international medical reports constantly confirming the virus can spread in the air or specifically through droplets from the mouth, this is very dangerous.”
Khreibet affirmed that he supports stricter penalties for people who spit on the streets, because they do not adhere to the hygiene law in the first place, and they may transmit the virus to others if they are found to be infected with it.
On the other hand, Attorney Mohammad Al-Ansari emphasized the seriousness of the spitting phenomenon. He added spitting is not only bad, it is immoral as well. “We do not need to toughen penalties only, as we need to apply the existing law and the punishment for this act because it is originally uncivilized,” he argued.
He went to say “toughening penalties requires legislation and a session in the National Assembly. All of this takes days, while we now need speedy enforcement of measures to prevent the spread of infection.”