asociety that cares for sick people has not changed its board since its inception. the illegal activities of the society came to light when mp ahmad al-fadhel opened the can of worms by saying influential or mps affiliated to the society and others run a number of shops in government hospitals and clinics after getting the approval in some way or the other from the ministry of health perhaps for a small fee in the form of rent. the society is known for carrying its work in a non-transparent manner. even the supervisors do not know the reality of their resources or their banks. this society has obtained a large number of commercial sites from the ministry of health, most probably free of charge, and has transferred these sites into restaurants and cafés, and some to sell gift items and flowers, in spite of a fatwa which forbids gifts so as not to toe the line of infidels. the society receives electricity, water and guard services from the ministry of health, or the state free of charge. there is no law which permits the ministry of health to give its property to others for free or in return for something, which is clouded in secrecy? why tenders were not floated for these units? why should the state treasury lose millions of dinars as income for the treasury because of this society and others, which do not work in least transparency? to add insult to injury, the role of this society to help the needy is unclear. moreover, the food which is sold by stalls belonging to this society is unchecked and workers don’t have health certificates. some mps, involved in the scandal of managing these shops have admitted that these shops were given to them directly without competition (without tender being floated) and agreed that they will return them to the society after the end of the lease period, but the lack of transparency prevents everyone from acknowledging the number of shops that have been handed over to mps, influential personalities and affiliates to manage them. what are the returns and when the contracts expire is anyone’s guess. we know the minister of health sheikh dr basil al-sabah is firm and determined and we kindly request him to open the file of these cafés and restaurants, which were given to this society free of charge for use for public interest. we write that to remind the readers that this society has spread its tentacles further and is said to have taken control of a number of private rooms in many hospital wings for the use of its female ‘religious guides’ who are the society’s ‘elite’, and may go beyond offering religious advice to patients or to those who wish to receive such advice based on religious ideas they believe in, not necessarily according to the ideas of the state. this is not within the jurisdiction of the society, nor its statute, and this is an activity that should not be allowed to happen at the expense of other state institutions. the task of religious guidance is already vested in the ministry of awqaf and islamic affairs. who will tell us what the mission of the religious guides is?
