Makkah Gov. Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, adviser to King Salman, received in his office in Jeddah the final report on the work of the standing committee to correct the status of Burmese expats.
The report which Prince Khaled Al-Faisal received from Prince Faisal bin Mohammad, deputy governor for rights affairs and chairman of the standing committee to correct the status of the Burmese, said that more than 190,000 free residence cards, valid for four years, were distributed. The residence permits were issued on sponsorships of companies and institutions and individuals. There were also exemptions from the accumulated fines resulting from non-renewal of residencies for many years because of their inability to renew their passports, or being unable to cancel runaway reports against them.
The report also noted that 7,428 Burmese beneficiaries were referred to the Personal Status Court to prove marriage, parenthood and child support issues.
It further indicated that the Ministry of Labor and Social Development branch in Makkah participated in correcting the status of laborers, including changing the professions, calculating the Burmese worker as only a quarter against the foreign workers in the Nitaqat program, and maintaining Burmese maids on sponsorships of their families. The status changes also included exempting workers from the transfer of their sponsorships to the enterprises where they want to work.
The report also showed that more than 83,000 beneficiaries received vaccinations against tuberculosis, meningitis, seasonal influenza and tetanus at the medical centers at the correction status headquarters. An estimated 750 cases of illnesses were transferred from the emergency medical centers to hospitals in Makkah.
The medical team in charge of work at the correction headquarters received a bus and an ambulance, said the report.
Health Affairs in the region also treated 2,257 cases infected with hepatitis B or C, in addition to other medical conditions at a cost estimated at SR25 million. The total cost of medical treatment and preventive services provided for the Burmese community was estimated at SR782 million.
The report noted the Myanmar community charitable schools’ status in Makkah was corrected, with about 121 schools, and that the students have all been enrolled in the three stages— primary, intermediate and secondary study levels— a total of 62,650 students. It said that university scholarships for outstanding students were also granted to about 1,307 students.
The report reported that free meals were served for a total of 1,500 meals per day throughout the correction period, as well as water supplies, approximately 2,000 water containers daily.
Finally, the report said that free health care services were also provided through the Zamzam Health Services Association and Shifa Association for 11,682 beneficiaries.

Source : Arab News