Abu Dhabi: Women healthcare workers put on dancing shoes to ‘break the bias’

Some 200 female healthcare workers, including frontliners, sang and choreographed a four-minute video to mark the International Women’s Day. Those women, who were not on duty, swapped their lab coats with trendy dance costumes to support a global campaign: #BreakTheBias.

Aiming to mark the day in a different manner, the healthcare workers of Burjeel Day Surgery Center on Reem Island created a cover version of the soundtrack ‘This Is Me’ from the musical ‘The Greatest Showman’.

The virtual musical is a collaborative effort of the frontliners and the staff of the hospital’s human resources department. Eilene Mandac and Fidora Fernandes, from the HR department, proposed the concept, which was realised with a week of practice and video shot by creating a temporary studio.

Fernandes, HR manager, said: “We planned to do something different for International Women’s Day. We chose the song ‘This is Me’ as the lyrics were in line with this year’s theme of ‘Break the Bias’. The song is about asking the world to accept us the way we are.”

The eight singers and eight dancers featured in the video work across different departments like nursing, hospitality, speech therapy, etc. Many of them were on the frontlines during the pandemic and engaged in Covid-19 vaccination, PCR testing etc. Others, including 20 doctors and 80 nursing staff, are perfectly in sync with each other and beaming with pride.

“We wanted to send a message to the ladies out there and encourage them to ‘Break the Bias’. This is what motivated us to be part of the video. The song, dance, and the teamwork behind the video were totally a novel experience for all of us,” said Dr Nermine Kamel, specialist, family medicine.

From the choreography to the recording, the employees carefully planned out every aspect of the video.

“Everything has been done in-house. We didn't go to a special studio for recording but created a makeshift studio in the facility itself and used it to record the song. We know that we tried to make a cover video of such a big hit. Being amateurs, we tried our best to deliver it,” says Diana Marie Masanque, registered nurse, in-charge of the outpatient department.

“Making this video has been a fun opportunity that allowed us to explore our creative sides. It also reminded us that we could come together to achieve anything we set our minds to,” said Z. Sharel Noronha, speech therapist.

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