RIYADH: The Saudi Red Crescent Authority will launch a “mercy caravan” after two weeks to help relatives of Saudi detainees in Afghanistan and Iraq visit their loved ones, said Prince Faisal bin Abdullah, chairman of the authority.
He said the visits are being arranged in coordination with the International Committee for the Red Cross and Red Crescent.
“We are now expecting the passports of the relatives in order to get visas for them to travel to Afghanistan and Iraq. We are now ready for this journey,” he said.
He said the Red Cross has made all arrangements for the visit, adding that a representative of the authority would accompany the detainees’ relatives.
He estimated the total number of Saudi detainees in Afghanistan and Iraq at 120. “This will not be the last visit. More visits would follow,” he added.
He also said his organization would open its first women’s department in Riyadh on Monday. He also disclosed plans to open 11 branch offices and four main warehouses.
Speaking about his meetings with authority officials in the past months, Prince Faisal said: “I had benefited a lot from these meetings. I have understood where the problems lie and I have received proposals on improving work and services.”
He said negligent officials would face punishment. “In the beginning we’ll give warnings and if they repeat the mistake they will be given proper punishment.” He said he had not seen much excesses on the part of his employees.
Prince Faisal denied plans to privatize the authority. “There is no truth in reports about privatizing the Red Crescent,” he said, adding that the authority was established to serve citizens and residents.
He, however, said the transportation sector of the authority could be privatized. “We are now in the process of establishing a company, which will receive its fund from insurance firms and will be specialized in transporting patients.”
He said the company would transport patients to hospitals and clinics for regular checkups and treatment, not for first aid. “This is a new investment project for the authority,” he said. He said the authority would not charge the public for this service. “We’ll take the charge from insurance companies that insist on ambulance service to transport their patients.”
