HAIL — Haet, located 250 km south of Hail, is an important city northeast of Saudi Arabia with a population of more than 100,000 but it lacks the much-needed government departments and public infrastructure facilities including well-equipped hospitals. "The government has shown negligence toward Haet as public welfare projects are rarely implemented in the city," Salim Al-Dobah told Okaz/Saudi Gazette. "The absence of public facilities in the city has forced many people to shift their homes to big cities seeking better living conditions and public utility services," he pointed out. People who still live in the city are demanding quick implementation of various public projects to meet their educational, health and social requirements. "We have been awaiting the opening of the civil status office in Haet for several years. We have to visit either Hail or Madinah, crossing hundreds of kilometers, to get civil ID cards and family cards issued and births and deaths registered," he explained. Al-Dobah stressed the need to open branches of the General Organization for Social Insurance and the Passport Department in Haet to reduce the suffering of residents. "Elderly people now travel long distances to get their social insurance benefits and submit necessary documents to GOSI. Many road accidents have occurred in the city but the authorities have not yet established an office of the Saudi Red Crescent Authority to take care of accident victims," he said. Abdullatif Al-Rasheed, director of the Qur'an Memorization Society in Haet, described Haet as an important governorate in Hail province. It has 18 townships and has a road system linking with other cities and regions. "We expect the authorities would raise its status to Grade 1 considering its population and important historic position," he explained. Salim Al-Rushaidi stressed the need to repair the city's streets and establish higher education facilities in the governorate. "We need a college for boys. At present our students have to travel either to Madinah or Hail to receive university education, covering a distance of 600 km in daily commutes and exposing themselves to the danger of traffic accidents," he added. He indicated that Haet people were seeking better health services. The public hospital lacks staff and people have to go to public hospitals in Hail or Madinah to receive proper medical care. Obyan Abdullah Al-Rushaidy urged the authorities to increase the number of beds at Haet Hospital from 50 to 100 and provide its various departments with the required medical staff and equipment. The hospital still lacks an intensive care unit, he added. Jumaiaan Al-Hajji stressed the need to establish a center to take care of the handicapped and children with special needs and open branches of various ministries and the electricity company in the city. Mohammed Al-Ruwaidi called for appointing more judges at Haet Court to settle disputes quickly. The city also needs an education department to supervise some 95 educational institutions, including 12 secondary schools.
