Abu Dhabi: A question due to be put to Abdul Rahman Mohammad Al Owais, Minister of Health, about sterilisation of hospitals to reduce health care-associated infections and provide patients with a clean and safe environment of care, was put off to a next meeting of the Federal National Council.
The delay was made on a request from the minister.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that at any time, more than 1.4 million people worldwide are affected by infections acquired in hospitals.
Between five per cent and 10 per cent of patients admitted to modern hospitals in the developed world acquire one or more health care-associated infections.
Al Owais also asked that another question about measures taken to ensure cafes’ abidance by the anti-tobacco laws be postponed.
Under the rules, shisha shops and shops selling tobacco products must not be available near schools and mosques. A minimum distance of 15 metres should be maintained from kindergartens, schools, universities and colleges and a minimum of 100 metres from places of worship. A minimum of 150 metres from residential areas is the rule for shisha cafes.
Shisha cafes are subjected to specific rules when it comes to opening hours. The regulations specify that these cafes must comply with working hours from 10am to midnight. Shisha may not be served to customers younger than 18 years, and the cafes will be forbidden from delivering shisha to apartments.
A third question which was due to be put to Dr Anwar Mohammad Gargash, Minister of State for FNC Affairs, on Abu Dhabi-based telecommunications group etisalat’s sponsorship agreement with Barcelona, extended by four years to the end of June 2017, was also put off.
