Bahrain will build new schools for boys and girls as part of efforts to expand educational and health services, according to a directive issued by HRH Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.

Chairing the weekly Cabinet meeting yesterday, HRH the Premier also instructed authorities to study the construction of a health centre serving both Askar and Jaw villages, where the schools will be built.

He directed Human Rights and Social Development Minister and Acting Health Minister Dr Fatima Al Balooshi and Municipal and Urban Planning Affairs Minister Dr Juma Al Ka'abi to visit Askar and Jaw and gauge people's needs.

All ministries, government departments, authorities and government-owned companies have been ordered to integrate National Dialogue visions in their action plan. Held last August following Royal orders, the participants in the dialogue endorsed 190 visions relating to key political, economic, social and legal themes.

HRH the Premier gave directives to co-ordinate with the finance ministry regarding additional budgets to translate the visions into reality.

The session issued five edicts on the implementation of key visions relating to social and legal themes.

The Human Rights and Social Development Ministry was instructed to explore ways to promote public-private community partnership and launch projects in this regard.

A taskforce will be set up to promote social responsibility in the private sector. Officials of the ministries of finance and industry and commerce will team up with representatives of the Information Affairs Authority and the Bahrain Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The Labour Ministry and the Civil Service Bureau will co-ordinate with the Human Rights and Social Development Ministry to provide jobs for handicapped jobseekers.

The ministries have been asked to study the possibility of granting working women with handicapped children two hours off duty daily in line with international conventions.

The legal affairs committee has been charged to study the amendment of decree 18 for 1973 on public meetings and rallies. The panel has also been directed to amend the draft law on child rights so that attempts to push children to participate in rallies and chant sectarian slogans and engage in acts of violence for political designs may be outlawed.

The panel has also been asked to amend the categories covered by law 18 for 2006 on social insurance to include Bahraini women married to foreign husbands.

The Health Ministry is to purchase "bed service" from private hospitals to avert potential shortage of beds at Salmaniya Medical Complex. – TradeArabia News Service