Eleven female teachers, who sustained various injuries during the tragic fire at the Bara'em Al-Watan Private Girls' School in Jeddah, have filed a complaint with Prince Faisal Bin Abdullah, Minister of Education, for allegedly being treated poorly by the Education Ministry, Ministry of Health and the General Organization for Social Insurance. The teachers suffered injuries including burns and fractures to the pelvis and the spine. Ahlam Al-Shafi', one of the teachers, said: “The hospitals forced us to leave before completing our treatment despite the fact that we sustained severe injuries. They didn't give us appointments to return or wheelchairs. We all have spinal injuries.” Al-Shafi' said the school might close down, leaving them unemployed. “What about us? We've been working for this school for 13 years for only SR2,500 a month. Our salaries are our only source of income. If we lose this, we'll be broke. And who will employ us now, especially since we cannot stand up because of our severe injuries?” Al-Shafi' said that the General Organization for Social Insurance refused to help them because they did not meet the conditions for social aid, which require applicants to have permanent disabilities. She said that they paid for their medical expenses. Amna Awaji, a history teacher, also complained about the hospital discharging them before completing their medical treatment. “We did not expect that the school would abandon us like this. We won't have any salaries at the start of the second semester,” she said. Awaji demanded that they get medical treatment at public hospitals, be given social aid and provided with public posts commensurate with their qualifications, expertise and injuries. A source at Jeddah Health Affairs told Okaz/Saudi Gazette that the female teachers did receive proper medical treatment including psychological counseling. Dr. Abdullah Al-Rabeah, Minister of Health, had also ordered that only the best consultants provide them with treatment. In addition, government health officers visited them regularly to check on their treatment, the source added. __
