CAIRO - ‘The National Salvation Government's Fund for Caring for People Injured in the Revolution and Martyrs', which was headed by former Premier Essam Sharaf, has run into a crisis. It has failed to solve the problems of the martyrs' families and those who were injured during the protests in Maspero and Mohamed Mahmoud Street. Many voices are calling for amending its remit or establishing a new fund with greater authority. Ranya Shawki, who works as a volunteer for the fund, says that they have a database about the families of martyrs and the injured, but the process of paying them is remarkably slow. She notes that there are many volunteers from NGOs, doctors and other people working for the fund. “The families of the martyrs are meant to receive LE30,000 in compensation, but there are many obstacles to this,” Ranya says, adding that 30 of the injured were given eye-drops that had expired. She also says that hospitals affiliated to the Ministry of Health refuse to admit the injured or treat them at State expense. “Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri said he would create a new ministry concerned to help those injured in the revolution and the martyrs' families. But, as he then told me, he has now decided to downgrade the ministry to a council, whose mission has yet to be defined.” Ranya notes that there are about 850 martyrs' families, but some of them have yet to submit to the fund documents proving they are related to the martyrs. “About 6,000 people were injured, 3,000 of whom are fully disabled and therefore unable to earn a living. They will be offered shops at a symbolic rent. “We are also trying to find jobs for the martyrs' families, while those who have been blinded will get 60 per cent of martyrs' families' pension, LE1,500 [about $250]. The children of the martyrs and injured will also be exempt from school fees,” she explains. “We met with Major-General Mohssen el-Fangari, a member of the military council, and he has promised to iron out all the fund's problems and to lobby for it to be transformed into an independent council.” Marwa Saqr, who also works for the fund, says they have a good administrative structure, which hasn't yet been activated, adding that there's a lot of work in front of them, before they can secure their rights for the injured and the martyrs' families. “The fund has four aims: creating a database of the injured and martyrs [this has already been achieved]; paying the martyrs' families their pensions; giving the injured their dues and paying for their surgery if they need it; finalising the procedures for the injured to travel abroad for treatment at State expense; and providing the injured with suitable employment,” she stresses. Maye Raafat, another volunteer with the fund, told Al-Ahram semi- official newspaper that it must offer social services to the martyrs' families and the injured, noting the hospitals affiliated to the Ministry of Health are not qualified to treat those injured in the violence that the revolution witnessed. According to Dr Hala Abdel-Khaleq, about 70 per cent of the families of the martyrs are still waiting for compensation. “Admittedly, they have yet to submit the relevant documents, but the fund should make an effort to help them to do so,” she stresses.
