ABU DHABI, A group of female leaders in the UAE’s health sector have expressed their gratitude to the UAE’s wise leadership and to H.H. Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak, Chairwoman of the General Women’s Union (GWU), President of the Supreme Council for Motherhood and Childhood, and Supreme Chairwoman of the Family Development Foundation (FDF), who provided all forms of support to ensure women an equal role in developing the country.
In statements to the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on the occasion of the annual Emirati Women’s Day, observed on 28th August, they highlighted the growing role females play in the UAE’s progress.
Dr. Farida Al Hosani, an expert in infectious diseases and Director of the Communicable Diseases Department at the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre (ADPHC), said that Emirati Women’s Day reminds Emirati women of the support they received from the UAE leadership since the country’s establishment, highlighting Sheikha Fatima’s key role as a role model for women in the UAE and her support of females in the health sector.
She added, “The reality of Emirati women in the health sector is very inspiring, as we have gone past the empowerment stage, with the rate of female health professionals exceeding 50 percent. We see many female graduates contributing significantly to the sector through their daily work as employees, leaders, and influential figures.”
For her part, Hind Al Zaabi, Executive Director of Healthcare Facilities at the Department of Health – Abu Dhabi (DoH), said, “Women in general, and Emirati women in particular, have played a key role in advancing the healthcare sector in the emirate and contributed to its journey towards becoming a successful model. We are seeing an increase in the number of female professionals in various medical specialties, including emergency medicine, oncology, ophthalmology, plastic surgery and infectious diseases.”
For her part, Khawla Hammad, founder and CEO of Takalam, an online mental health counseling platform, said, “Our government and our wise leadership continue to show complete confidence in Emirati women and their capabilities. Throughout my journey, I have received massive support from DoH and other authorities, besides the changes I have seen take place thanks to the numerous national initiatives to empower and encourage Emirati women to work in healthcare.”
Dr. Mona Al Hammadi, Acting Chair of Medical Services at Al Wagan Hospital, an affiliate of Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), told WAM that, during the previous years, she obtained several academic degrees, including a Master’s in Occupational Medicine from the University of Manchester in Britain, thanks to the limitless support that the UAE government provides to women.
Eng. Aisha Al Shamsi, Planning and Projects Officer at the New Al Ain Hospital, stated that the major strides made by Emirati women are a testament to the UAE leadership’s eagerness to involve women in the country’s sustainable development and their keenness to promote female participation as a common practice in the UAE community, while ensuring them a fair chance to occupy leadership positions across all sectors.
“Today, Emirati women are taking on leadership roles and responsibilities in various sectors, and I owe it to our wise leadership, which gave me the opportunity to enroll in Fatima College of Health Sciences and obtain my degree in physiotherapy, and other establishments that helped me get to where I am now,” said Saba Al Mashjari, an inpatient physiotherapist at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
Source: Emirates News Agency