Tag Archives: tsi
Student with low vision excels in Grade 12 exams
Student with low vision excels in Grade 12 exams Muaz Shabandri / 7 June 2013 Sitting close to the exam room window and reading his question paper with an electronic magnifier, Sajjad Kalam, comes across as any ordinary student taking his exams. A closer look at his paper and one gets to know the difficulty with which he has to read and answer the questions written on a sheet because of limited vision. “I have difficulties in reading and that’s why I have to put more efforts in reading and writing with clarity,” says Sajjad. Sajjad has a medical condition, which limits his vision by as much as 80 per cent. Having to wear thick glasses and still use an electronic magnifier, the student was given special provisions taking into account the extra time taken by him to read. Defying all odds, Sajjad, who is a student of The Millennium School, Dubai, scored 83 per cent in his Grade 12 exams and his results put a smile on the faces of friends and teachers who helped him through his studies. “I was very happy to hear his results and it reflects the hard-work of the student, his parents and the teachers who have taught him,” said Senior School Supervisor (Boys) Syed Ali. Simple tasks like finding a page in the textbook called for help from classmates, as the numbers were too small for his eyesight. Teachers at the school have also played a big part in helping Sajjad understand the curriculum. “From Grade 5 to 9, we used to give him a question paper on a larger sheet so that he could read easily,” said one of his teachers. Sajjad has always been popular among his friends because of his humble and loving nature. Ratan Koshy and Parmeet Singh, two of his close friends have made every effort to be by his side whenever there have been any difficulties. The two students have even been recognised by the school with special awards. While finishing the exams is the first step in stepping into the right career path, Sajjad has no qualms about taking up higher education. He plans to take up an undergraduate course in business administration and move ahead in life. muaz@khaleejtimes.com Continue reading
Agriculture: Abundance Of Land Spurs Big Commercial Drive
http://www.ft.com/cm…l#ixzz2VRnoVe3v By William Wallis Olam, the Singapore-registered commodities trading house, owes its origins to cashew nuts and the dark days of military rule in Nigeria. This was when currency controls made getting foreign exchange a permanent headache. In 1989, the Indian group Kewalram Chanrai hired Sunny George Verghese, now Olam’s chief executive, to find a forex solution for its textile and chemical business in Nigeria. He did this initially by selling cashews on international markets. So began a long journey across dozens of countries and numerous commodities, which, in its latest iteration, has seen Olam launch an expansion from trading into large-scale commercial farming in Gabon. Olam’s plans to transform tens of thousands of hectares of forest into rubber and palm oil plantations are among the most visible signs of returns from the recent government drive to spur investment – long neglected – in agriculture. “In 2010, we started looking at Gabon differently, with a new government with clear priorities and looking for investment,” says Gagan Gupta, the 36-year-old manager of Olam’s expanding operations. “We wanted to do palm and rubber. The government wanted a special economic zone.” This included running a purpose-built industrial zone outside Libreville, where timber companies have begun processing wood to conform to regulations banning the export of unprocessed logs. Gabon is blessed with fertile soils and a favourable climate, which deliver some of the highest yields in the world for, particularly, rubber. Gabon’s big landmass – most of which is still forested – and low population density make it easier for commercial farmers to gain land titles and manage community relations than in many other African countries. This is at a time when global demand, lack of available land elsewhere and soaring food prices are driving the most significant push into farming on the continent by external forces since colonial times. As in other oil-rich African states, the focus on oil production in Gabon, to the near exclusion of other economic activity, has greatly reduced the role of agriculture over the years. For now, much of the country’s food requirements are imported from elsewhere in Africa and from Europe. The most visible evidence of the produce of local farmers can be found at market stalls along the country’s main highways. About 100km from the capital, Libreville, and beyond the bridge at Kango, the scale of things is now apparently changing. A short drive through secondary rainforest and you emerge into what must count as one of the fastest-growing oil palm plantations on the continent. Tens of thousands of four-foot-high plants stretch across undulating hills towards the horizon and on either side of numerous forested zones, where protected flora and fauna and sensitive local sites have been left alone (along with buffer zones to the surrounding rainforest). Mr Gupta says the cost of leasing land in Gabon is average for the continent. Labour costs are higher than average at a prescribed minimum wage equivalent to $300 a month. But he hopes that higher yields and the chance to operate the plantations using environmental and social best practice will compensate for that. “There is limited land available for certified palm oil. We can do socially responsible green certified oil here that will fetch a premium. You can’t get certified in Malaysia – here it is possible,” he says. The company is treading in the footsteps of Siat, a Belgian agro-industrial group that is part Chinese-owned, which took a more traditional route in acquiring state palm and rubber plantations about 10 years ago, and which has $600m expansion plans. Gert Vandersmissen, Siat Gabon’s general manager, says one of the biggest constraints to growth is the shortage of labour and the time it takes to get authorisation for visas for immigrants. Most of Gabon’s inhabitants live in Libreville, Franceville and Port Gentil and not everyone is keen on the hard labour associated with plantation work. Rubber prices tend to be sensitive to global financial conditions and, following the 2008 recession, they dipped to below the cost of production, according to Mr Vandersmissen. He maintains that yields in Gabon are among the best in the world and long-term prospects are good. Like Olam with palm oil, Siat is making a strategic calculation for the future. This takes into account rising demand for palm oil in Africa, the shortage of available land in other parts of the continent and the link that is emerging between palm oil prices and those of crude, because of palm’s potential to be converted into biofuels. Oil palms take at least three years to begin producing, and 12 years to peak over a lifespan of 25 years, so it is a long term bet. “We are riding structural changes,” says Mr Gupta. Continue reading
Medicines go cheaper from today
Medicines go cheaper from today Asma Ali Zain / 6 June 2013 More than 6,600 drugs to treat chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension will be up to 40 per cent cheaper from today — taking the country’s pharmaceuticals from one of the most expensive in the region to one of the cheapest. The UAE Ministry of Health said on Wednesday that prices of 6,632 medicines would be cut from between 1 and 40 per cent. The move would benefit needy patients the most, especially diabetes, hypertension and heart patients, numbers of which were high in the country, officials said. A boost for patients A diabetes patient who now pays between Dh250-300 a month on medicines can save up to Dh40 per month — or nearly Dh500 per year, according to industry experts. “This difference is quite beneficial in the long term,” said Dubai’s Zulekha Hospital Director of Operations Dr Kishan Pakkal. “People used to say that you cannot afford to fall sick here, now with lower medicine prices, choices will be greater,” he added. Experts also said that the price difference would particularly affect Asians who prefer to buy cheaper drugs from their home countries. The lower prices, in turn, will boost local consumption and benefit manufacturers indirectly. According to a statement issued by Frost & Sullivan in February, the move will also be beneficial for the local pharmaceutical drug manufacturing industry as there will be generic options available for both chronic and acute diseases. “However, the real beneficiary will be the patients — both local citizens as well as the expats,” said Dr Ajay Kumar Sharma, Associate Director, Pharma and Life Sciences Practice, Frost & Sullivan. “This price reduction will promote Asian expats to purchase medicines locally rather than buying it from their home country as there will be marginal price difference. Additionally, this will boost the local consumption and (offset) the price decrease by increased volumes for the manufacturers,” he added. However, individual pharmacies, local agents and mostly international drug companies will get a fair share too. A new price list for drugs has been issued by the ministry which has also put in place a new inspection and control procedure system. The new pricing system that was approved by UAE’s federal Cabinet in February this year has made medicines in the UAE the most affordable in the region, said ministry Assistant Undersecretary for Medical Practices and Licensing, Dr Amin Al Amiri. Price adjustments have been done by pegging the import price to the US dollar and unifying it across the GCC. A total of 7,053 medicines are currently registered with the ministry. Dr Amiri said the system would encourage investment in the pharmaceutical sector in the country. “A study done in five GCC countries showed that medicine prices were the highest in the UAE…with the new prices, 60 per cent of the medicines in the country will now be cheaper than elsewhere in the region,” he said. At least 319 medicines available for hypertension and heart diseases will be available for up to 41 per cent less. Likewise, a cut of between 1 and 47 per cent will apply to 156 diabetes drugs, Dr Amiri said. A 15 per cent profit has been fixed for private pharmacies by cutting customs insurance freight (CIF) charges. Since 2010, pharmacies have been earning only six per cent profit. Dr Amiri also said that the system will support small private pharmacies, prevent smuggling of drugs among GCC countries, discourage people from bringing medicines from abroad and reduce citizens’ complaints about the high prices of medicines. Dr Yacoub Haddad, who represents Phrmag (Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association Gulf) said that the most important thing was that patients would be able to afford latest medicines at reasonable prices. “This has been made possible through (pegging the price of medicines to the US dollar),” said Dr Haddad, adding that Phrmag had been in talks with the ministry for 18 months before a suitable system was worked out. – asmaalizain@khaljeetimes.com Express medical fitness centre in Karama A new medical fitness centre that can accommodate over 2,000 people per day has opened in Al Karama. The centre, which will be operational from June 9, provides express medical fitness services and is spread over an area of 20,000 square feet featuring a VIP lounge, a kids play area, two coffee shops, a reading area and is equipped with state-of-the-art medical facilities. “The centre provides express medical services which include three options that customers can choose from; within 4 hours, 24 hours or 48 hours. The centre is located in the heart of Karama and will be convenient for the people living in the vicinity,” said Maisa Al Bustani, director of medical fitness at Dubai Health Authority. The centre is located near the Emirates Post office in Karama and will be open from 7.30am to 9.30pm Sunday to Thursday. The Al Satwa Medical Fitness Centre, which had a capacity of accommodating 700 clients per day and also offered express services exclusively catering to female clients, has been closed temporarily for renovation. “We will expand the centre and are carrying out some renovations as it is one of the oldest medical fitness centres in the emirate. In the meantime, clients can use the Karama medical fitness centre, which is three times the capacity of the Al Satwa centre and it also provides express services.” Al Bustani added that female clients can go to the Rashidiya medical fitness centre that caters exclusively to ladies with complete female staff or they can choose any of the other medical fitness centres in their vicinity. Continue reading
