Quality healthcare is UAE's first priority: Culture minister

Shaikh Nahyan with the Pink Caravan team at the closing ceremony of the ride. - Wam

The 10-day Pink Caravan Ride came to a close at a ceremony attended by Shaikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Culture and Knowledge Development.
In total, the horseback ride travelled 180 kilometres across all seven emirates, during which time 5,024 were screened for breast cancer.
At the closing event held on Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island, Shaikh Nahyan praised the efforts of the Pink Caravan's royal patron His Highness Dr Shaikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to provide healthcare to the people of the UAE.
"The Pink Caravan, with its important events and activities, exemplifies the UAE's goals of ensuring the quality of life to everyone-under the leadership of the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Our country provides its people with all the healthcare, prevention and treatment they need. The UAE leadership reaffirms on every occasion that this is the UAE's first priority," he said.
"The Pink Caravan's role is not limited to raising awareness about the risks of breast cancer, but also includes implementation of important initiatives for the early detection of the disease, and providing free medical checkups throughout the country. This makes the UAE a role model in dealing effectively with fighting diseases as breast cancer, through promoting awareness about its prevalence and encouraging breast cancer studies," he added.
Ameera bin Karam, president of Friends of Cancer Patients and Chairperson of the Pink Caravan's Higher Steering Committee, said that the Pink Caravan provides an example that "could inspire us and illuminate our way."
Over the six years since the Pink Caravan began operating, 1,420km have been covered, and free breast cancer screenings have been administered to 5,024 people, including 653 men and 4,371 women - 3,905 of whom are expats in the country.
Mammogram screenings were conducted for 300 people, while 1,653 people were referred for mammogram screenings and 435 people were referred for ultrasound scans to ensure their safety. This brings the total number of screened people to 41,356 men and women of various nationalities and all ages.
"Frankly, this is not an easy mission, and still a long way to go and difficulties still lie ahead in every sense of the word. We know that our way is rife with challenges that require patience and collaborative efforts to overcome them, and this is how we succeeded in every challenge during the past Pink Caravan rides," she added.
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