KUWAIT CITY, July 31, (Agencies): The Ministry of Health (MoH) is planning to amend the penalty clause for smoking in ministry premises and if approved, those caught smoking in its premises will be jailed, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily.
Sources say the ministry is preparing a bill suggesting amendments to ministerial resolution No. 347 which stipulates that all those caught smoking in the ministry premises be fined. MoH wishes to intensify the penalty and wants violators to be imprisoned.
The ministry wants to amend some other laws too and intends to submit the proposals to the National Assembly for approval.
Meanwhile, three-day financial allocations would be granted for Kuwaiti patients who completed their treatment in the British capital, but could not return home due to lack of airline reservations, director of the health bureau in London Dr Yacoub Altamar said here Saturday.
Altamar said in a statement to KUNA — following a meeting with the director of the Kuwait Airways Corporation (KAC) in Europe Walid Al-Muhana — that he discussed the means of helping patients of emergency cases who completed treatment periods to return home, noting that there are cases requiring medical beds on board the aircraft in what entails providing some extra seats.

He also hailed the interest shown by the Minister of Health Dr Hilal Al-Sayer who issued instructions for paying definite money allocations for the patients to help them return home whether on board of KAC aircraft, if there are available seats, or paying these funds to other airlines.
In this context, Altamar lauded the swift response on the part of Al-Muhana and his promise to offer all necessary facilities that help Kuwaiti patients return home as quickly as possible.
Altamar said that Al-Muhana thankfully transferred the tickets of a number of patients to other airlines, besides keeping KAC office in London open during official holidays to help the biggest number of citizens return before the beginning of Ramadan, noting that Al-Muhana pledged to lend assistance to all Kuwaitis existing in Britain including the patients receiving treatment there.
Altamar also renewed his thanks for all the KAC staff in London for what they exert of “big” efforts during the summertime, expressing his understanding for the difficulties precluding the provision of airline seats for all citizens who want to return before Ramadan month, particularly as there is one daily flight only to Kuwait.
London is one of the biggest European getaways for Kuwaiti tourists during summertime, besides the large numbers of Kuwaiti citizens who receive treatment at British hospitals.