NEWS FROM THE UAE
SOURCE : THE NATIONAL
Deadline for ID cards brings frustration
DUBAI - APRIL 01: Emiratis faced a chaotic and frustrating day of long queues yesterday as thousands tried to register for a government identity card before the deadline ran out.
Staff were left trying to process a last-minute flood of applications spurred on by warnings that any citizen who was still not registered from today onwards could be fined Dh1,000 (US$272).
“I came here at 8am and took a ticket; I came back at 11am and there are still 170 people ahead of me and just two people to type all the applications,” said Mohammed al Amri, one of the hundreds who took the day off work to queue at the Al Barsha registration centre.
Thamer al Qasemi, planning director for the Emirates Identity Authority (Eida), said that although today’s deadline still stood, the legal mechanism by which people could be fined was not yet in place, and that until it was, no fines would be imposed.
“We need to have the legal authority to refer people to court or the police, and until that is in place we will continue to register people even after the deadline without imposing a fine,” he said. “We are still going back and forth with other authorities to decide what we can do. There is no news yet on how long this might take.”
At the Al Barsha centre yesterday morning, many of those waiting said they had got their cards more than a year ago, but had not realised they also needed to register their children.
Others said they were unhappy at having to go through the process at all, and complained that the biometric card could still not be used for most day-to-day transactions.
“Tomorrow is April 1, so I hope this is not an April Fool joke,” said Ali al Jehazi, who said he had been living out of the country until a week ago and had not been able to register before.
“A lot of Emiratis have a big family, so a Dh1,000 fine is a lot. Everyone here has had to take the day off work.”
One parent worried at the threat of a fine was Ghanim al Bolushi, who was taking a cigarette break while his family queued inside.
“I have had my card a long time but I was told I didn’t need to get one for my children; then I heard on the radio that I do. I have 10 children, so I could be fined Dh10,000, but all the time I have had it I haven’t found anywhere I could use my card,” he said.
“The fine is too high; it’s a big problem.”
Khalid Karam, who said he had used his card once in the year since he had registered himself and his wife, had also taken the day off work to register his children.
“We thought it was not needed for children under 15, then my friend told me it was. They should have made the information more clear. The rules kept changing, the deadline kept changing. It’s crazy.”
Mr al Qasemi said the information given by Eida had been clear. “People below the age of 15 do not have to have an ID card, but they do need to register on the population database; this has been the policy since the start of the project,” he said. “We have had pictures of children in all our advertisements, we have said it over and over again to the media. I don’t think people really have any excuse at this stage. There has been a big rush in the last two weeks. Why have people left it so late?”
Despite complaints that banks and many other institutions do not yet accept the ID card, there are some signs that is starting to change.
In March, the Abu Dhabi pension fund announced that the card could be used to claim pensions and other state benefits, and yesterday the Dubai Courts Department said Emiratis would no longer be able to access the legal system properly without one.
“If they wish to file a case or ask for a replacement marriage certificate, for example, they will have to present their ID cards, otherwise their applications will not be processed,” said Rabea al Zarooni, head of public relations at the courts.
She said criminal cases would not be affected, and that Emirati witnesses could still produce other forms of ID before giving evidence.
Diabetes screen call for over-30s
DUBAI - APRIL 01: Everyone over the age of 30 should be tested for diabetes, health officials said yesterday as they announced a Gulf-wide initiative to tackle one of the region’s most common diseases.
The new campaign, which runs until 2018, includes guidelines for patients and doctors on how to prevent and treat diabetes.
These recommend that people who have the illness be assessed every three months with checks including blood pressure, height, weight and lipids (blood fats).
The guidelines also advise on annual assessments such as diet and physical activity, and urine tests.
Studies have confirmed that the incidence of diabetes across the UAE is rising. In 2005 it was found to affect 19.6 per cent of the population – or almost one person in five – a figure that is expected to pass 28 per cent by 2025 in the absence of effective measures.
A number of initiatives have been launched over the past few months, including a seven-point strategy to unify efforts among the various bodies dealing with the problem in the UAE, announced by the Ministry of Health in January.
At yesterday’s press conference in Dubai, Humaid Mohammed Obaid al Qattami, the Minister of Health, described diabetes as one of the heaviest burdens on the state health services, adding: “It is essential to provide comprehensive health care for citizens.”
He said primary prevention relied on monitoring and treatment measures, in addition to “reducing the associated risk factors”.
The new initiative includes plans to provide free exercise facilities to encourage physical activity and improve the lifestyle of individuals.
“This new campaign is part of a Gulf strategy to fight diabetes, as the region tops the list for prevalence,” said Dr Abdulrazzaq al Madani, the director of Dubai Hospital and chairman of the Emirates Diabetes Society.
“These guidelines have been written in simple terms so that everybody can have access to them and use them.”
Dr al Madani recommended that everybody over the age of 30 should be screened for diabetes.
“Others that should also be screened are those who are considered to be obese, and those with a family history of diabetes,” he said.
In addition, Dr al Madani stressed the need for a patient register, which will provide data for all the necessary health authorities over the scope of diabetes in the country.
“Currently the Dubai Health Authority and the Abu Dhabi Health Authority have their own registries, but we are waiting for all the necessary bodies,” he said.
“Compiling this registry is not an easy task.”
Dr Ali bin Shakar, director-general of the Ministry of Health and president of the Supreme National Committee to Combat Diabetes, summarised the main objectives of the strategy, focusing on the areas of primary prevention, strengthening surveillance, and monitoring and evaluation.
“We seek to reduce the incidence of risk factors leading to infection and to reduce the spread of obesity by one per cent annually and increase the proportion of those who do physical activity by two per cent,” he said.
“The ministry is currently discussing the establishment of mini-clinics to follow up on diabetes patients in primary healthcare centres,” said Dr bin Shakar. “There are also plans to distribute sports equipment in parks and public spaces, to encourage physical activity.”
Shisha smokers in parks and on beaches to face fines
DUBAI - APRIL 01: People who continue to flout laws banning shisha smoking in public places could face fines, Dubai Municipality officials warned yesterday.
Ahmed Abdul Karim, director of the public parks and horticulture department, said inspectors had stopped more than 2,500 people from smoking shisha during spot checks in parks and on beaches over the past month. While no fines were imposed, he said, future offenders may face financial penalties. During the inspections, people visiting parks with shisha equipment were asked either to leave it behind or to take it home.
Mr Karim said the spot checks were conducted over the last four weeks at six major public parks in the city as well as at the Jumeirah Open Beach and other beaches. “We know that at least 167 people returned from the park gate when we informed them that they cannot smoke shisha inside,” Mr Karim said.
Most people were cooperative, he said, but action was taken against some people who did not respond to requests.
“We confiscated shishas in at least two instances where people were hostile,” Mr Karim said. “We will start fining people later if they do not follow regulations.”
Dubai Municipality announced four weeks ago that shisha smoking would be banned in all public places as part of the city’s attempts to curb smoking in general.
Last year the municipality banned shisha cafes in residential areas. In mixed commercial and residential areas, cafes had to move smoking indoors and make changes to their ventilation systems. Outdoor shisha cafes in other areas must now have special licences. Those caught flouting the rules face heavy fines and even closure.
Salem bin Mesmar, assistant director-general of the health, safety and environment department, said the decision had been taken to protect children who visit public parks, beaches and other recreational areas with their families. Open shisha smoking would send children a wrong message, he said.
Meanwhile, regular shisha smokers expressed disappointment over the inspections and urged the municipality to relax the rules. Jameel Karim, a self-employed Lebanese national based in Dubai, said he was stopped from using shisha at Al Safa Park last Friday.
“I go to the park every weekend with my family to have shisha and relax,” he said. “This time they did not let us smoke shisha. This is just something we do to enjoy and relax after lunch. It is not acceptable that this is banned.”
Others, however, welcomed the decision. “Our children play at these parks, and we must ensure that they are safe and healthy,” said Vidyut Kumar, a Karama resident. “This is a good step to clear the air at parks and beaches.”