Dr Abdul Al Awadhi a man of strong initiative, determination
An energetic and active sotul
This is the fourth and the last in a series of articles on Dr Abdul Rahman Abdullah Al Awadhi, a physician, four times minister, writer, environmentalist. — Editor
Finally the good work began to reap results. With a shift in world public opinion the Kuwaiti cause began to gain ground. A coalition of nations was formed to free the country and when the Gulf War got underway Dr Abdul Rahman resigned, feeling the intense satisfaction of having done his duty in the best of his ability.
When at the beginning of the Gulf war the Iraqi proved their sinister intentions by releasing a huge oil-spill on the water of the Gulf, causing devastating damages to marine life and to the environment, Dr Abdul Rahman Al Awadhi braced himself for yet more diabolic strategies on the part of the Iraqis.
He suffered yet more intensely when at the close of the Gulf war the entire oil field was set on fire.
This criminal act affecting mankind on a global scale revealed the diabolic nature of the Saddam Hussein. Even his supporters realized that given a chance he would have carried out his deadly intention of using his chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction.
Environmentalists were appalled by the damages caused to the region, first among them was Dr Abdul Rahman for whom protecting the environment had been his main concern since the sixties, he knew the long term consequences of the burning oil on local health and its side-effects on a global scale.
Seeing hundreds of roaring fires rising from the bowel of the earth amidst acrid smoke dismay and anger filled his heart.
When on the third day after the liberation he entered Kuwait with a team of experts to assess the damages a whole panorama of filth and destruction opened in front of him.
Distillation
In some hospitals were discovered bodies devoid of eyes and interior organs; at the National Zoo animals were left to die of starvation or were burned in their cages; at the Equestrian Club were the rotting carcasses of prized horses; all the water distillation plants were blown-up and the entire electricity and water network was destroyed; at the Kuwait University, in schools, in factories, even in private houses and in gardens there were bobby-traps; all along the shore and on the beach there were trenches and bunkers.
Mines were everywhere, there were so many that in spite of the extensive mine-sweeping, many are still claiming victims.
Such a desolation and destruction Dr Abdul Rahman found at his return home was like a stab in his heart.
After the shock, came the determination to restore the country back to normal in the shortest of time, rebuild what was destroyed and bring back life to normal; but that was easier said than done because the administration was in chaos.
There was confusion, uncertainty and hesitation in the people in charge; the colossal problem was causing panic; someone was needed with a clear mind and the power to delegate and correlate efforts.
Dr Abdul Rahman Al Awadhi proved to be a man of strong initiative and energy during the invasion, but he resigned from politics because, frustrated by the drag of indecisions of people he had to work with, but the call to duty came at a time he could not ignore.
Miracles
As soon as he was put in charge he took action and set to work with characteristic energy; he still had to fight the indolence and hesitation of some of the people he was working with, but in a short time he and his team worked miracles.
Experts and technicians were brought into the country to deal with the burning oil-field. Later in the process young Kuwaiti engineers, a woman included, were allowed to join in the effort and in record time the fire was brought under control.
The titanic struggle of seven months ended in a victory of human endurance and ingenuity.
At about the same time life was brought back to normal especially after electricity and water were restored and rebuilding could take place.
For Dr Abdul Rahman Al Awadhi the aftermath was no less challenging than the seven months of invasion.
Having done his duty he left the ministry and politics altogether; happy to continue his good work at the Environment Protection Council as the Executive Secretary of the Regional Organization for the Protection of the Marine Environment since it was established in 1981, and the Secretary General of the Arab Center for Medical Literature since 1983.
As member and Chief Editor of the Kuwait Medical Association Journal Dr Abdul Rahman Al Awadhi has been contributing extensively with scores of articles and studies.
Other articles on environment and related subjects were published in environmental magazines and newspapers in Kuwait and in other Arab countries.
In his involvement with the Kuwait Red Crescent Society Dr Abdul Rahman was the Secretary General in 1966-75 and Vice-President since 1975. He was also the Vice President of the Kuwait Association for Handicapped Welfare; the Chairman of the Kuwait Radio Amateur Association since in was founded; President of the Kuwait Society for smoking and cancer prevention, since it was formed in 1980; President of the Islamic Organization for Medical Science since 1984, and President of the Kuwait Kidney Transplant Society since it was formed in 1984.
Dedication
For his active involvement and dedication to international health and environmental affairs at all levels,in regional and international organizations, Dr Abdul Rahman Al Awadhi was awarded with many Honorary Fellowships by the Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh, Scotland, by the Royal College of Medicine, Ireland, by the Royal College of Surgeons & Physicians, Glasgow; he was made Honorary Doctor of Law by the Si-Chang Bon University of Korea and Honorary Member of the American Public Health Association.
After liberation Dr Abdul Rahman Al Awadhi became Member in scores of institutions among them the WHO Advisory Council on HIV and AIDS since 1991; the WHO Director General Council on the Earth Summit Action program for Health and Environment since 1993, of the WHO Certification Commission for Global Polio Eradication since 1995, of the Harvard School of Public Health Visiting Committee since 1994, and of Environmental Health Council since 1993.
Dr Abdul Rahman Al Awadhi lectured and wrote extensively on a variety of subjects, some dealing with health, other about environment awareness, even on sport, traffic and occupation.
Always energetic, when he is not busy on something, he loves taking a brisk walk, or swimming or gardening.
Since he was teenager photography has been his favorite hobby especially capturing in film the Flora and Fauna of the desert or a glorious sunset.
But among his best photographic shots is not nature in its splendor or charming quietness; it is the dramatic scene of a devastated land consumed by roaring flames rising high among clouds of black smoke reflecting on lakes of crude oil. The shot was taken at his return to Kuwait soon after the liberation as a reminder of that terrible event.
In the golden summer of his life Dr Abdul Rahman Al Awadhi is still energetic and active in trying to ameliorate living conditions, to which he has dedicate his life since a trauma in childhood opened his mind and shaped his destiny.
Concluded