Dubai The rise in cancer rates and the high demand on specialised treatment justifies the establishment of Medical Treatment and Research Centre in the UAE according to the FNC member, Al Rahoumi who called on the government to approve the plan amicably.

He said according to medical statistics the cancer rates in the UAE reached 11 per cent of the total population which is too high and requires highly specialised treatment.

Abdul Rahman Mohammad Al Owais, acting Minister of Health, said that cancer is the third reason for death amongst emiratis.

“Cancer of all types is the third reason for death amongst emiratis. This has driven the government to establish anti-contagious diseases including cancer to diagnose and inspect it at early stages to help treat it easily,” added Al Owais.

Information access.

Al Rahoumi also complained of the dearth of information and data available for FNC members to help them diagnose pitfalls in the society and ministries to improve their performance and efficiency.

“We as FNC members are not given access to information from ministries and public entities,” complained Al Rahoumi.

Anwar Mohammad Gargash, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Minister of State for Federal National Council Affairs, said that the FNC should send a letter to the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs, if the ministry or the department did not help the FNC have access to information.

“The FNC members have the right to have full access to information from all ministries and government departments. Therefore, the FNC should send the Ministry of State for Federal National Council Affairs to let us know about this issue in order for us to address the ministry or the department per se about this matter,” concluded Gargash.

Identity Card Typing Centres

With regard to question by Abdul Latif Shaheen, Ras Al Khaimah member, about information privacy at the Identity Card Offices, Shaikh Saif Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, said:” Identity Card project is amongst the most important projects that are carried out by the government which will yield accurate information and statistics that will be used for various purposes including health care, education, and so on.”

“The UAE is a multicultural community with an open market economy, today we are in an open world and people can have access to information wherever and whenever they want,” Shaikh Saif elaborated.