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Four Emiratis among 20 awarded for outstanding achievements

Twenty individuals from across the UAE and the world, were honoured by Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and UAE Minister of Finance, for their contribution in the field of medicine and healthcare at the 8th Hamdan Medical Awards that took place on Monday evening at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre. The award has a total monetary value of Dh2.8 million.

Among the Emirati winners honoured were late Abdulsalam Rafi, a prominent social figure and businessman who played a highly significant role in the charitable and humanitarian domains in the UAE and abroad.

In 1998, Rafi started a diabetes treatment centre at Al Baraha Hospital, that currently provides healthcare to thousands of patients annually. In 2012, he donated Dh38 million for establishing a two-storey complex to house out-patient clinics at Rashid Hospital in Dubai.

The first floor comprises diagnostic laboratories and radiology rooms along with 42 rooms, which include a wound clinic, pharmacy, lactation room, prayer room and cafeteria. The second floor consists of 42 rooms for all medical specialties including surgery.

The complex contains 84 clinics of various medical specialties in order to increase the capacity of out-patient clinics at Rashid Hospital from 100,000 patients per year to 200,000.

Moreover, he added 85 new hospital beds to Internal Medicine Departments to avoid overcrowding of the hospital.

Emirati Dr Ahmed Abdulaziz Al Jaziri, who heads both the Physician Promotion Committee and Organ Transplantation Committee at the Dubai Health Authority, was also honoured with the award. He is one of the leading Emirati physicians in the UAE.

Hamdan awards hailed Asma Ali Zain At the ceremony, Abdul Rahman Al Owais, UAE Minister of Health and chairman of the award’s board of trustees, said: “Throughout 16 years, the award has contributed to the establishment of the culture of interest in scientific research at the level of states in the region. It has supported all possible ways to upgrade the professional performance of those in charge at the local, regional and global health sectors.” Professor Najib Al Khaja, Secretary-General of the Hamdan Medical Awards said: “In its current term, the award has chosen the drug discovery, vaccines, targeted therapy and cell therapy as the topics of its global prizes. This is so as the we believe in the importance of such topics at a time when many of the deadly and chronic diseases require radical solutions to face and highlight them”. asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com

Since 2001, he has headed the Surgery Department at the Dubai Hospital well known for being very industrious and conscientious when it comes to taking care of his patients.

Dr Jaziri invented several medical devices, which are used in laparoscopic surgery such as ‘Clip Applicator’ that was patented in Germany in 1990 and ‘Jaziri Mosulator’ for removing abdominal tumours in a non-invasive way and liver hydatid cyst resection.

The third Emirati to receive the award is Dr Jamila Al Suwaidi, who is a Consultant in Radiation in Medicine Development at the Department of Medical Education at the Dubai Health Authority.

She is the Emirati Counterpart for National Projects in-cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

She is the first Emirati to obtain post-graduate degree in the field of medical physics, with a special focus on nuclear energy. Dr Jamila played an active role in establishing and developing the Medical Physics specialty at the Faculty of Sciences at UAE University.

In 2000, Dr Jamila founded the Radiation Protection Unit in the Department of Nuclear Medicine and then went on to set up the Department of Medical Physics at the Dubai Hospital. In 2002, she participated in drafting and formulating the first federal law concerning radiation protection.

Dr Elham Mohamed Al Amiri, who is currently an adjunct assistant professor at the college of medicine, University of Sharjah and a consultant pediatrician at Al Qassimi Hospital in Sharjah, where she is also the head of the Diabetes and Endocrine Unit, was yet another Emirati to be honoured with the Hamdan Medical Award.

She also works in scientific research and has managed to publish her findings in highly influential medical journals.

The focus of her research is on neonatal and adolescent diabetes. She is the founder of the Diabetes Unit at Al Qassimi Hospital in 2001. This unit serves both adults and pediatric patients.

One of her achievements is starting the voluntary support group “Friends for Diabetes” which supports patients and provides educational, medical and financial help for individuals who are in need of treatment.

asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com

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