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JEDDAH: The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu has stressed the pressing need for an Emergency Disaster Response Fund to deal with natural calamities in member states, as the Kingdom raised SR400 million in relief for Pakistan.

Ihsanoglu was speaking at an emergency meeting of the OIC on Wednesday to pledge support, solidarity and sympathy for Pakistan in the aftermath of the devastating floods that have killed over 1,600 people and displaced thousands more.

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JEDDAH: The interest of Saudi youths in volunteer social services is notable in the month of Ramadan and during Umrah and Haj seasons. They organize programs either individually or with private or governmental support.

The Boy Scouts have been offering services to Haj and Umrah pilgrims with the support of the government since many years.

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AL-BADAYE&rsquo;/AL-OWAILQIYA &ndash; Two men were killed and 13 were injured Friday in a three-car pileup on the highway in Al-Badaeye&rsquo; town. The accident involved a bus and two small cars. Al-Bukairiya Hospital was put on alert while ambulances brought in the injured. <br/> In another accident, three men died and four were injured when a speeding car flipped and rolled over&nbsp;after one of its tires burst on the international road east of Al-Owailqiya city. Red Crescent ambulances moved the injured to Al-Owailqiya Hospital. &ndash; Okaz/SG&nbsp;

Air India faces flak for refusing to transport home comatose patient

ALKHOBAR: Indias national airline is facing flak from the Indian community in the Eastern Province for refusing to transport home a comatose Indian national.

Thirty-nine-year-old Chekkamadath Muhammad Shafi Kutty was to fly Air India to Calicut from King Fahd International Airport in Dammam on Aug. 4. Kutty has been comatose since June 14 after getting serious head injuries in an accident on the Dammam-Abqaiq Highway. He was taken by Red Crescent to King Fahd Military Hospital (KFMH) in Dhahran where he has been treated since then. He was taken off the ventilator on June 27 and since has been described as stable.

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TABUK – An Asian housemaid was rescued by emergency services after slashing her wrists at the home of her employer in the Al-Solaimaniya District of Tabuk on Sunday. The Red Crescent was called to the site by the family that employs her after she locked herself in the bathroom, and according to the regional spokesmana for the Civil Defense, officials broke down the door and found her on the floor unconscious. “She had a knife in her hand and was bleeding from the wrist,” said Mamdouh Al-Enizi. “Medics gave her first aid and rushed her to hospital.” Tabuk Police are investigating the motives behind the apparent suicide attempt. – Okaz/SG

JEDDAH – The Red Crescent has said that it has stationed hundreds of units around the country as it prepares to deal with a rise in call outs over the summer holiday period.

“Weve got 154 teams at the ready in Makkah, 100 in Madina, 92 in the Eastern Province and 160 across Asir,” said Ahmed Bariyan, Saudi Red Crescents media chief. “Theyll be there to cover all pre-hospital medical services required during the holidays and the Umrah pilgrimage season.”

Bariyan said that units had been positioned in response to needs analyses and projected visitor numbers over the summer.

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JIZAN – An African man is in serious condition in hospital after suffering an electric shock in the remote mountainous area of Faifa on the southern border on Saturday. The Red Crescent called upon the Civil Defense for assistance in transporting the man across the difficult territory to Faifa General Hospital. – Okaz/SG

AL-KHOBAR – Ali Al-Zahrani, the head of Road Safety at the Eastern Province Traffic Department has said that the Saher traffic control system does not exempt rescue services from offenses such as speeding and jumping red lights.

Addressing the regions Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Monday in a lecture detailing the nature of the system, Al-Zahrani said that Red Crescent and Civil Defense vehicles would also be fined for traffic offenses when Saher, which is already operating in Riyadh, is introduced in the Eastern Province.

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NAJRAN – The work of the Najran mayoralty is under the spotlight after the collapse of part of an iron fence surrounding King Fahd Park in Saqam Forest in Najran injured a number of citizens.

First Lieutenant Muhammad Al-Sharani, spokesman of the Civil Defense in Najran, said the hurt picnickers were rushed by Red Crescent ambulances to Najran General Hospital.

He said a team from the safety section at the Civil Defense was assigned to inspect the fence and write a detailed report on the incident and on the safety measures at the park.

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JEDDAH – The Commission for Investigation and Prosecution (CIP) is looking into a complaint from a municipal council worker in Al-Kamil who says he was admitted to hospital after being physically attacked by members of the Encroachments Committee.

Mishal Al-Salami, who holds the post of municipality staff observer, says that he was “punched and kicked” at the municipalitys head office and spent three days at Al-Kamil General Hospital after he objected to the committee knocking down a wall on property belonging to his wife.

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