When an issue in the media grabs public attention and becomes the focus of social media, the department concerned should not hesitate for a second to shoulder its responsibilities. The department should bravely, quickly and with all transparency explain to the people all the details concerning the issue. When it does this, people will sure respect the department because mistakes can happen in any government department or ministry. However, when the concerned department distances itself from the issue or at best gives the usual reasons to prove the innocence of its employees or deny the very existence of the problem, it will lose respect. The denial statements not only have become an obsolete method but also are extremely boring. Such an attitude is evidence of irresponsibility. It hurts the feelings of parties affected by the problem and insults the intelligence of society. The Ministry of Social Affairs is dealing with orphans who are among the weakest sections of society and who are in need of mercy and humane care. There should not be any mistakes by the ministry concerning this particular category of people. Regrettably, whenever the ministry solves a problem in one of its departments, another one will erupt somewhere else. The ministry often reacts late or is completely silent on issues concerning it. We have warned against such an attitude but it is obvious that the ministry will not change. The ministry's reply to a report on alleged failings at a social care home in Jazan that were uncovered by Al-Watan daily should not have been drafted in a manner that hurt the feelings of everyone. Instead of recognizing the mistakes and asking its officials to rectify them, the ministry held the orphans responsible for damaged furniture at the home, picturing them as criminals. The statement accused the orphans of not appreciating the efforts of the ministry. It did not have any consideration for the sentiments of the orphans who are subjected to all kinds of psychological torture and maltreatment. The ministry's officials have deprived the orphans of the great support extended to them by the government. It denied the existence of any problem and accused the orphans of telling tales. The solid facts proved beyond doubt that the orphans were living a miserable life in the orphanage. When such a problem occurs in another social care home, this is evidence enough that there are many loopholes that the ministry should act to plug. Until now there has not been a useful statement from the ministry. This proves to us that the ministry has no intention to change.
