Holiday at Work: How Abkhazia's Departments Prepared for New Year's Holiday
SUKHUM / AQW'A -- Departments of Abkhazia are ready to work during the New Year's holiday.
During the New Year's holiday, the departments in Abkhazia are responsible for the safety and medical care of the population have been placed on an enhanced operating mode.
According to the press service of Abkhazia's Ministry of Internal Affairs, the department has increased measures to ensure public safety during the New Year's holiday. On Wednesday, December 28, Vice President of Abkhazia, Badra Gunba, held a meeting with heads of law enforcement agencies, during which the crime situation in the republic and issues of ensuring public safety during New Year's were discussed.
The head of the department, Walter Butba, informed the audience at a meeting in the Presidential Administration that the personnel of the Ministry of Internal Affairs had switched to an enhanced duty regime since December 26.
"The ministry is responsible for protecting eight city schools and two crowded locations - the Sukhum Central Market and the Sukhumpribor shopping complex," the minister said.
According to Butba, Interior Ministry officers are conducting daily patrols on the republic's roads and the number of drunk drivers has decreased, but the trend is generally maintained. For the previous week, six accidents were recorded, two of which resulted in fatalities. Butba stated that the ministry has developed a program to implement a photo and video recording system from Psou to Ochamchira, which he believes will stabilize the situation on the roads.
Ministry of Emergency Situations
The Ministry of Emergency Situations will have around 100 employees on duty throughout the country during the New Year's holiday weekend, according to Omar Vozba, head of the state fire supervision department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Abkhazia.
"Our work will be carried out in an enhanced mode in all cities and districts during all holiday. There will be round-the-clock duty, including an officer responsible for the republic who will be in the operational headquarters every day. Therefore, there will be no special days off for us," he clarified.
He also mentioned that in preparation for New Year's, employees of the department conducted preventive work to prevent emergencies involving explosive objects, such as pyrotechnics. "We checked the venues for New Year's events and the preparation of facilities for the celebration, the adoption of children. We had patrols at the Sukhum market. Together with the State Standard, we carried out inspections of the storage conditions for pyrotechnics and expiration dates," said Vozba. During inspections at the Sukhum market, several minor violations of the storage conditions for pyrotechnics were identified and promptly corrected, according to Vozba.
Ministry of Health
The press service of Abkhazia's Ministry of Health stated that all medical institutions in the country are ready to work during the New Year's holiday. The department confirmed that central district hospitals in Abkhazia, as well as the Republican Hospital and other metropolitan medical institutions, are also prepared to work on New Year's days.
"The hospitals and ambulance service will operate 24/7. All medical facilities are equipped with the necessary equipment and staff, and have a supply of medicine and consumables," the release states.
The press service also mentioned that responsible personnel from management have been appointed, work schedules for medical organizations have been formed, and doctors on duty will be at clinics, with emergency care available seven days a week.