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ಪ್ರಕಟಿಸಿದ ದಿನಾಂಕ : 2010-02-03  (Haneya Multani, aged six months, fell to the floor during a hospital examination) City cracks down on illegal bills and posters 2 February 2010 If you are sticking bills and posters in public places, do so at your own peril. Dubai is enforcing a ban on the activity and says violators will be fined Dh200. Municipal workers will track the phone numbers mentioned in these bills and posters. Inspectors will follow it up with fines in a campaign that has found several partners. The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) and etisalat will print the campaign logo on their bills. The telecom services provider will also bolster the campaign through SMSes. “Otherwise, any person who posts stickers shall be punished as per the Local Order No 11 of 2003 by the law-enforcing officers authorised to implement this order,” it adds. The Municipality has formed four special teams of inspectors for tracking down those violating the ban, while 300 volunteers from five private companies will help the civic body in removing existing stickers, an official said. “It is a difficult task for our workers to remove these stickers and posters,” said Suhail Mohamed Saeed Alawadhi, the head of Cleaning Services Section of the Municipality in Bur Dubai. “People know that it is illegal to post sticker advertisements. But they still do it. We have educated workers who will now call up these people posing as customers and help us catch them for issuing fines,” Alawadhi said after the launch of the campaign at Karama Park. Indians top buyers of Dubai property in 2009 2 February 2010,. Indian investors dominated Dubai’s real estate market in 2009 with their investment in the sector reaching almost a quarter of the total sales recorded in the emirate. FutureBrand’s Gulf Real Estate Study showed buyers from the United Kingdom and Pakistan followed the Indians both in terms of value and the area of property they bought in Dubai last year. The data, supplied by DUBAIFocus, in association with the Dubai Land Department, also showed that UK property buyers finished second with their 21 per cent share followed by investors from Pakistan and Iran in the third and fourth position with 12 per cent and 10 per cent contribution respectively. Expatriates account for around 80 per cent of the UAE population and Indians topped with 1.8 million, followed by 1.2 million Pakistanis, according to recent data. The FutureBrand study also showed that Brand Dubai topped in the Gulf region as the preferred location for homeowners to live in. Abu Dhabi came next, followed by Doha, Jeddah and Muscat, in that order. Preference for Dubai was fuelled by the buyer’s quest for high quality construction. A majority of the respondents stated this to be their highest priority. The study examined what is happening beyond the epicentre of Dubai; the successes and the failure that each country has witnessed; and the shift from luxury brands to housing that serves every section of society. “Trust is going to be the focus this year and beyond,” said Jae Hwang, Executive Director at FutureBrand in Dubai. “After a series of delays, cancellations and poorly communicated messages, developers are going to have to overcome and manage a large degree of scepticism.” The report also identified new practices, including the impact of city brands on the real estate sector. Abu Dhabi’s investment and commitment to improving its brand is a notable example of this trend, one that will have lasting benefits for the nation’s real estate market. “The Gulf real estate market has to address some critical challenges this year,” said Mario Natarelli, CEO of FutureBrand North America and Middle East. “It is easy to simply write off the region based on the sensationalised news of the crisis in Dubai, but we must consider how the considerable investment in the region’s infrastructure to date, the wealth of resources and the size of the overall marketplace creates a compelling reason to remain optimistic for the long term.” CBSE Opens Helpline for Gulf Students (IANS) 3 February 2010 NEW DELHI — In order to help students of Classes 10 and 12 in Gulf countries overcome exam stress, the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) on Tuesday started three helplines in Dubai, Kuwait and Qatar. The first phase of CBSE counselling has begun and will continue till April 8, 2010. The counselling will help students and parents to overcome anxiety and examination-related stress during examinations, a CBSE spokesperson told IANS here. The CBSE Class 10 and 12 board examinations are starting March 3 and thousands of students in scores of Gulf schools will sit for the exams. Students wishing to get exam-related guidance may call David Ipe (Counsellor) at the Indian School, Dubai at 0097143377475 between 12 noon and 4 pm. In Kuwait, CBSE has assigned Asha Sharma of the Indian Educational School to advise students at helpline number 0096524340882 between 8 am and 12 noon. Mohammed Aejaz, principal of the Ideal Indian School at Doha, Qatar, has been selected by the board to help students. Here the helpline numbers are 00974-3020735 and 00974-4684849. Students wishing to talk to him need to call between 7.00am and 1.30pm. In India, 52 principals, trained counsellors from CBSE-affiliated government and private schools, psychologists and social scientists are operating helplines from 8am up to midnight. Nine-passenger limit on minibuses on the cards "We are preparing stringent rules and regulations to control them," said Masoud Mohammad Hashim, Director of Regulation, Licensing and Compliance Division at TransAD, the taxi regulatory authority in the emirate. Authorities are concerned about the high number of accidents involving 14-seater minibuses. Image Credit: Ahmed Kutty/Gulf News Abu Dhabi: Abu Dhabi has stopped issuing permits to new 14 seater minibuses which often cause deadly accidents, a senior official told Gulf News yesterday. "We are preparing stringent rules and regulations to control them," said Masoud Mohammad Hashim, Director of Regulation, Licensing and Compliance Division at TransAD, the taxi regulatory authority in the emirate. "We have not issued no-objection certificates to new 14 seater minibuses since June 2009 and we will only permit new such vehicles on the road after making the new regulations," he said. But the official said the authority is renewing the no-objection certificate of about 2,500 minibuses which were registered before June 2009. "They are plying on several routes in the emirate, without the burden of any strict regulations, and they cause serious accidents," he said. "We are considering to make seatbelts mandatory for all passengers and reducing the number of seats from 14 to 9 to ensure safety." The TransAD was given the mandate to issue the no-objection certificate for 14 seater minibuses last year, he said. Earlier that authority was with the Traffic Police Department of Abu Dhabi Police which transferred it to Department of Transport (DoT), Hashim said. The DoT delegated the authority to TransAD which has engaged a consultant to study all aspects of minibuses including demand from passengers, tariff, qualification required for drivers etc, he said. "We are trying to finalise the new regulations within six months under the supervision of DoT', the official said. An official from the Traffic Department of Abu Dhabi Police told Gulf News yesterday that three people died in accidents involving mini buses in 2008 in Abu Dhabi. "The nine accidents involving minibuses also left 18 people injured [moderate or minor injuries] and three others received serious injuries in the same year," he said. In 2009, nine accidents involving minibuses were recorded without any deaths but 38 people were injured and two received serious injuries, the official said. The TransAD official said the regulation on minibuses which run as sharing taxis all over the emirate has been a grey area. "The existing rules and regulations are not clear, so they are running everywhere in the emirate and making a lot of money," he explained. 2,500 - minibuses had renewal of no objection certificates 9 - minibus accidents were recorded in 2009 38 - people injured in minibus accidents in 2009 Demand: Taxi decision pending The TransAD may consider permitting minibuses to run as sharing taxis in Al Gharbia (Western region), said Masoud Mohammad Hashim. "That is under study… Al Gharbia has small villages…sharing taxis may be suitable for connecting those villages, but we have not taken a decision in this regard," he said. He said TransAD is studying the future demand for taxis in Al Gharbia, based on several projects coming up in the region under Abu Dhabi 2030 plan . At the moment about 127 old taxis are running in the region which is enough for the existing population, Hashim said. "A single franchise has approached us to run all the 127 taxis [replacing old taxis]. We are even considering making new standards for existing taxis, but we have not taken a final decision. Because the region may need various types of taxis, like sharing taxis and minibuses etc", the official explained. "We will take a decision upon completing our study," the official added. Timeline - Minibus accidents in Abu Dhabi January 13, 2010: An Indian was killed in a crash on the Musaffah road when a four-wheel drive crashed into the minivan January 19, 2009: One woman died and six others were injured in a minibus accident on Emirates Road. The minibus, which was heading towards Abu Dhabi, skidded and turned over. August 18, 2008: One person was killed and 19 others were injured when a truck hit a minibus from behind on Abu Dhabi-Ghwaifat highway March 31, 2008: Fifteen people were injured, four of them seriously, in an accident when an exhausted minibus driver rammed his vehicle into a parked car on Dubai-Al Ain Highway. July 14, 2005: One person was killed and 20 were injured in a crash involving the bus, a minibus, a truck carrying a crane, a pick-up and two cars, which happened at about 5.30pm on an Airport Road bridge close to the general directorate of Abu Dhabi Police September 16, 1992: A five-year-old student died following a crash of the minibus in Abu Dhabi. Two students of the Abu Dhabi Indian School among those admitted with injuries are under observation. - Compiled by Gulf News Archives Numbers Accidents involving 14 seater mini-buses in Abu Dhabi 2008 •9 accidents •9 accidents Hospital safety questioned after baby falls on floor (National) February 03. 2010 Haneya Multani, aged six months, fell to the floor during a hospital examination. A father wants hospital examination tables to be fitted with safety rails after his baby daughter rolled off one onto the floor. Umair Multani, 30, had taken six-month-old Haneya to Zulekha Hospital in Dubai for a flu check-up. After the examination, the doctor turned away to her computer, said Mr Multani, a British Pakistani who works in sales. “Then the nurse left the baby alone. The baby was turning over. She fell on the ground, skull first,” he added. “I heard a loud thud. I was the first to rush to the baby. This is very serious and shouldn’t happen.” A CT scan indicated that Haneya was not seriously injured, but her father, who had been a metre or so away when the accident occurred, wants assurances from the hospital that it will not happen again. He made a formal complaint to the hospital on January 3, three days after the incident. Mr Multani did not receive a response until three weeks later, after The National contacted the hospital administration director, who then telephoned Mr Multani to say that the hospital had done nothing wrong. Mr Multani, from Sharjah, said: “For the hospital not to accept their mistake indicates that they aren’t interested in improving the quality of health care. “The lack of feedback initially and the denial of any wrongdoing makes us believe that we need to continue exploring options to bring about positive change. “In this hospital we found some good doctors whom we were comfortable with, before the actions of a few eliminated the trust we had.” Dr Syed Mujtaba, Zulekha’s administration director, said the hospital did not accept responsibility for the accident. He said the examination had finished and it was up to Mr Multani to look after his child. “I don’t think we have done anything wrong,” said Dr Mujtaba. “He should have taken care of his baby. “This is the first time something like this has ever happened in our hospital.” However, Dr Mujtaba said he would consult the hospital’s health and safety department to investigate the cost and benefits of putting safety rails on baby examination tables. “It’s definitely a new experience and we will try to do whatever we can,” he said. “After the incident, we gave the baby a free CT scan as a humanitarian goodwill gesture, but this was not our responsibility.” Shake up for schools' code of conduct to deal with unruly pupils Thousands of public school pupils throughout the UAE are to be given a new code of conduct in a move intended to respond to a rapidly changing learning environment. An influx of new ideas and technology is contributing to bad behaviour in Emirati schools, officials and parents say, and they hope an up-to-date code will address 21st century problems such as unfettered social networking, improper use of the internet, dating, smoking and inappropriate clothing. In a statement, Humaid al Qattami, the Minister of Education, said the country faced “many changes and strange behaviours for UAE society”. He said the challenges only “increase the ministry’s will to develop the educational environment”. Mr al Qattami conducted a series of meetings with parents and teachers across the country over the past two months, and complaints of pupils behaving badly were common. He said a new code of conduct should be flexible and not rely on punitive measures. But it must also stress the value of adhering to the country’s traditions and values. The code will apply to public schools, but Mr al Qattami urged private schools to develop similar frameworks, stressing that “the UAE is an Arab and Islamic nation that enjoys values and traditions that differentiate it from a lot of societies”. While a code of conduct already exists, outlining penalties for misconduct by pupils, many feel that it is outdated and fails to address contemporary problems. Many of those problems are fairly traditional to any learning environment, such as skipping class and fighting on the playground. “The kids like vandalism and drawing on public property,” said Ahmed al Habsi, the principal of Abdul Rahman al Dakhel School in Al Ain. “These are the ones that are widespread.” More “modern” concerns that educators hoped the ministry would address are the effects of new media and technology, which the country’s youth often use inappropriately, they say. “Even third-graders now have BlackBerrys,” said Mariam Khatem, a representative of the Fujairah Women’s Council, an organisation that represents parents in the emirate’s schools. “The BlackBerry is destructive,” said one Emirati mother with children in public schools, who did not want to be named. “It has a lot of harmful effects, they send things like indecent pictures and messages to each other.” Addiction to technology and the internet also made many school-aged girls antisocial, she said. “They don’t even see any of their extended families any more.” Exposure to other cultures that dress less conservatively has also led girls in school to dress inappropriately and to break rules on uniforms and dress codes. “It’s a fashion show in schools now,” said Amna al Shehhi, a teacher at a public school in Ras al Khaimah. “The girls put on make-up and wear a lot of colours. It is not appropriate at all.” Some had also taken to dating as well, she said, a result of “the parents being busy, their absence from home. The maid is now the mother and the father”. Mr al Habsi and other parents said television and the rest of the media promoted antisocial behaviour among pupils. Last month, the ministry said it would require schools to hold an open day each term that would allow parents to meet teachers and stay posted on their children’s academic performance and behaviour. “The home is crucial,” said Ms Khatem. The family could plant values like respect for teachers in their children, she said. The reasons for behavioural issues were numerous, said Wafa Saleem, an Emirati mother and former schoolteacher. “Sometimes, the mistake is at home because there is no good example, like if the father smokes or spends a lot of time outside the home.” she said. “But the school must also try to be an attractive environment. Society is inter-connected.” Lack of respect for teachers has often been cited as a problem by parents and school principals, with some students resorting to insults and verbal abuse with teachers and students. “Their tongues get used to what is on television,” said Fawzia al Genaibi, the principal of Sheikha Bint Suror Primary School in Al Ain. But Ms Saleem said schoolteachers also had a duty to respect students and not embarrass them in front of their classmates. Teachers also had to know how to respond to students of different backgrounds, she said. Ms al Shehhi said a new code of conduct was needed to address the lack of clarity and to modernise the old code, bringing it up to the challenges of the current age. One thing the code should stress was the responsibility of the teachers, some of whom resorted to corporal punishment to discipline students. This should be expressly banned, she said. In addition, development of the code should involve different stakeholders, like parents, school management and law enforcement, said Mohammed al Hosani, principal of Abu Dhabi Secondary School. Others said the ministry should stress the importance of counsellors in the treatment of misbehaving students, and training sessions for parents and students to educate them about the code of conduct.
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