Comprehensive Disability Complex 70% ready

Manama, Dec. 25 (BNA): Works Affairs Undersecretary of the Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Ahmed Al Khayyat visited the Comprehensive Disability Complex in A’Ali, accompanied by the Acting Undersecretary for Construction Projects and Maintenance Raed Al Salah, Construction Projects Director Mariam Amin, a number of engineers from the Ministry, and a representative to the project contractor. The project is now 70% complete and is expected to be ready for handover in April 2018. The project indicates the leadership’s and government’s concern towards tackling the needs of people with special needs and providing them with the chance to improve their abilities and engage in the community. During the visit, the group listened to a detailed explanation about the project and its components. The Undersecretary described the project as one of the biggest and most specialized complexes for the disabled on the Middle East level. It is funded by the Kuwaiti Fund for Arab Economic Development at a cost of $23 Million; covering the cost of construction, tools and equipment, furnishing and decoration and provision of buses specially equipped for the disabled. The Government has allocated a land area of 29,106m2 and a total construction area of 18,765m2. The complex is to accommodate 1450 persons and 160 administrative persons at the main building. Al Khayyat explained that the project design took into account the new requirements for the Ministry of Social Development when it comes to attending to people with special needs. The modern design of the complex keeps pace with development in the Kingdom, provides a comfortable and interesting educational, medication and rehabilitation environment and also takes into account other important factors such as sustainability, green buildings and energy preservation. The Construction Projects Directorate of the Ministry has carried out the engineering design for the project and is currently supervising implementation of the project. Al Khayyat said that the project comprises nine separate buildings specializing in treating, educating and rehabilitating a certain group of the disabled, like those suffering from Down syndrome, the deaf, the dumb, the autistic, and those suffering from brain damage and mental illnesses. Other departments include physical therapy, psychotherapy, work therapy, a specialized library, psychological support center and measurement, evaluation and diagnosis center. Each building comprises of treatment rooms, rehabilitation and education rooms, together with offices for the therapeutic, educational and administrative body, service facilities such as toilets and stores, education and training buildings, health club, multi-purpose show room, the main administrative building and sub-power station, control room, water tank, guard room and external fence. The Undersecretary instructed the team responsible for implementation of the project to accelerate the pace of work and adhere to the time schedule set for the project and the contract terms agreed upon. He also explained that the location for the Comprehensive Disability Complex has a number of access points on the roads network, 4 bus waiting areas, parking spaces especially designed for the disabled, visitors, the administrative, education and medical staff; accommodating 308 vehicles.