Health authorities take special measures for ballot day

All hospitals and medical clinics throughout Kuwait will be ready to treat patients and emergency cases during the balloting day of the parliamentary elections due on July 27th. "A roadmap has been worked out for the electoral day, where all hospitals and medical centers will be ready to receive the patients, without consideration to (citizens') address," declared a special commission, formed by the Ministry of Health for treating cases during the marathon day of ballot casting. Dr. Khaled Al-Sahlawi, the undersecretary of the ministry and the head of the special panel, said in a statement following the first meeting of the body that the participants in the meeting discussed a host of issues namely establishment of makeshift medical centers at all the constituencies. Medics will be on alert at the electoral districts, equipped with 25 ambulances, along with alerted medical and technical teams, he announced. All hospitals will be prepared to deal with emergencies during the balloting, said Dr. Al-Sahlawi, adding that the special commission was also tasked with checking validity and safety of food to be supplied to personnel serving at the ballot centers. Ambulances will be used for transporting the elderly and citizens of special needs to the stations, he added, indicating that the ministry teams will coordinate with the other departments during the peak of the process, namely the Ministry of Interior and the Kuwait Red Crescent Society. Cases to be treated with first-aid at the makeshift medical facilities but will warrant follow-up, will referred to hospitals.