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Post # 1
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Join Date: 04 Mar 2015
Location:  KuwaitPosts: 87 |
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‘Vaccinate All Incoming Expats’ |
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‘Vaccinate All Incoming Expats’
‘Health Security Important’ IT IS a good step that “the ministries of Interior and Health have activated an electronic link such that the Residency Affairs General Department will not issue family visas to four nationalities — Pakistani, Afghan, Nigerian and Yemeni — unless they get vaccinated against diseases spread in their countries†(See Arab Times, March 26, 2015). Even though sources have “disclosed the vaccination should be done in the medical centers in the residential areas throughout the country,†I would argue otherwise. Why not for example ask those who come to Kuwait on visit visas to be vaccinated in their home countries before they arrive here. Our embassies around the world can verify whether an individual was vaccinated, before allowing them to travel to Kuwait. Moreover, why not ask every expatriate who travels outside Kuwait to be tested and put in quarantine if required. Our health security is as important as our national security. We should do whatever is necessary to protect our citizens and our expatriate population from diseases. For example, what is happening today is that a Kuwaiti sponsor would need to check with the health authorities if they travelled with their house helpers. The current procedures takes the form of an electronic block on the sponsorship status. A Kuwait sponsor has to visit the vaccination health center in Al Sabah medical area to lift the block. However, this procedure is inefficient. A house helper or a private driver who travels with their sponsors outside Kuwait should go through the same medical tests they went through before they were hired in Kuwait. I would even suggest to the Ministry of Health to initiate a national vaccination campaign covering all expatriates. We as Kuwaitis usually go through a very efficient vaccination program, which continues, to almost adulthood. However, there are expatriates who come from different countries with very poor vaccination national programs. Therefore, it is very logical to vaccinate any foreigner who visits Kuwait even if temporarily. In fact, why not set up medical quarantine and vaccination centers in our land border centers and at Kuwait Airport so any expatriate who leaves or enters Kuwait would receive the appropriate medical checkups. Whatever the Ministries of Interior or Health would do to protect Kuwaiti and expatriates in Kuwait, they should do it more efficiently. We cannot risk allowing people who come from countries with poor and perhaps inefficient health medical services to spread diseases in our country. The government should always emphasize that our health security is as important as our national security. Source:arabtimesonline http://www.arabtimesonline.com/NewsDetails/tabid/96/smid/414/ArticleID/214374/reftab/36/Default.aspx |
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