Covid-19: To serve is a mission for this Emirati doctor

Abu Dhabi - Ayesha has been at the forefront of the UAE's response against the Covid-19 pandemic.

During the 1990 Gulf War, little Ayesha Musabbah Al Memari was eager to be on the frontline. Looking at her fervour, her parents egged her take up medicine as a career. Her father's illness and difficulty in finding treatment for him prompted her to choose emergency medicine as her specialty. Ayesha became the first Emirati woman to specialise in emergency medicine and critical care. She provided medical care to Emirati soldiers serving in the coalition forces - the first female civilian doctor to do so. Ayesha has also been at the forefront of the UAE's response against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Marking the Emirati Women's Day, Ayesha said that she always wanted to help people and losing her father made her more resolute about her commitment.
"In 1990 at the age of 12, I was determined to join the military, police force or be a doctor. When I completed high school, my parents encouraged me to choose medicine as a course of study. I have always been a 'caring, loving and giving person'...that's how my father used to describe me. On my first day of internship, my father fell ill and faced a long ordeal. It left a deep imprint on my mind and so I chose emergency medicine and ICU as my specialty and subspecialty," said Ayesha, chair of department, medical division, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City.
The relief on a person's face when reassured about the condition of their loved ones is what Ayesha cherishes the most.
"The pain I felt losing my father at a young age motivates me to continue serving and learning in order to help others so they do not feel the same fear or agony. I love it when I feel I am adding value no matter how simple it is to a patient's life or his journey of well-being."
Ayesha has done masters in quality and safety in healthcare management, masters in tissue, cells and organ for donation and master of business administration, and fellowship in humanitarian medicine. She has co-founded an emergency medicine programme to train future emergency physicians and implemented quality improvement projects for emergency medicine care and access.

"I love seeing those I teach become successful physicians and passing on my skills and knowledge to them."

ashwani@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi