By Ayman Adly /Staff Reporter
Maintenance of internal streets across the country has been assigned QR40mn as the Public Works Authority (Ashghal) has taken over work from the municipalities, the Central Municipal Council (CMC) was told yesterday.
The CMC hosted senior officials from Ashghal at its regular biweekly session to discuss the implementation of CMC recommendations issued in November last year, asking the authority to maintain more effective co-ordination with the municipalities.
The session was attended by Hamad Mohamed al-Tamimi, director of asset sector affairs; and Ahmed al-Kubaisi, director of roads operation and
maintenance department.
Al-Tamimi said that the budget was distributed among framework contractors. The Doha city has been divided into eight areas. Road maintenance works would be undertaken by two or three different contractors in each area. Work on this plan would begin next year.
CMC member Hamad Lahdan al-Muhannadi complained that Al Zakhira area he has not seen any maintenance work in spite of repeated requests.
He said that emergency and temporary maintenance may be okay but regular and long-term maintenance is missing.
Al-Tamimi promised that a team from his department will go to this area and work out a solution. The same concern was reiterated by CMC chairman Saud al-Hinzab about some streets in Muaither.
The council reiterated its recommendations for an independent asset management entity to take over infrastructure projects when delivered by the contractors and Ashghal.
The CMC reviewed its recommendation about enforcing more security and safety measures on eateries and other service outlets inside private petrol stations. The council urged the authorities concerned to exercise tighter control to save the public from any dangerous situations.
The council also received a response from the Supreme Council of Health (SCH) regarding its demands and comments on the complaints of the shortage of beds at the public hospitals and the repeated complaints of patients that they have to wait extended periods to get admitted at a hospital.
SCH admitted that the issue constitutes a challenge due to the rapid increase in the population in the country, yet the process of expansion is going on. Besides, many private hospitals have been included in the National Health Insurance System and this would ease the situation.
Three hospitals are coming up for workers, whose numbers are increasing in proportion to the construction projects related to the FIFA 2022 World Cup.
