Services for elderly ensured in Kuwait: social affairs minister
Int’l Day of Old Persons marked
KUWAIT CITY, Oct 1, (KUNA): Minister of Social Affairs and Labor and Minister of State for Economic Affairs Dr Hind Al-Sabeeh on Sunday affirmed keenness on activating the elderly law which ensures services for this segment at all State facilities.
Minister Al-Sabeeh, in a statement to journalists on sidelines of the sixth meeting for the old generation, themed “toward active old age,” noted that the gathering aims at giving opportunities for the old to be active.
Kuwait co-celebrates with the other nations the International Day of Old Persons, which falls today.
She lauded efforts exerted by personnel of the Elderly Care Department, organizer of the gathering.
A citizen whose age exceeds 65 is entitled to get a card providing him (her) with preference when seeking services in State or private sectors, including medical facilities, she said.
Medical teams who visit houses of senior citizens per year reach up to 17,460, in addition to visits for treating psychological cases -- exceeding 5,000 per year.
Teams that provide physiotherapy pay up to 11,600 visits to those in need to their houses.
Perhaps one of the most important periods in Kuwait’s history was Sanat AlTafha, the year of increased economic prosperity.
In 1912, Kuwaiti economy was in “full throttle” due to the increase of pearl diving ships to about 800 vessels, which brought in revenues estimated at that time at six million Indian rupees.
That year also saw the employment of around 30,000 of the estimated 110,000 population of Kuwait in the pearl diving scene.
The year saw people migrating to Kuwait to benefit from the situation, resulting in the establishment of 40 markets selling various commodities.
People were also able to pay their debts and also they were able to export their goods to Iraq and the Sham regions.
Sanat Al-Tafha was seen as a period of economic boom, which helped Kuwait overcome the economic losses witnessed on the aftermath of Al-Hadia battle in 1910.
Kuwait’s then Amir Sheikh Mubarak Al-Sabah had to impose additional taxes and also pearl diving escapades were suspended, leading to the mass immigration of a huge number of pearl merchants.