UAE | General
Students urged to lend helping hand to the elderly
The Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) is encouraging students to volunteer for a programme that helps the elderly in the emirate.
- By Dina El Shammaa, Staff Reporter
- Published: 15:47 January 13, 2009
Abu Dhabi: The Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) is encouraging students to volunteer for a programme that helps the elderly in the emirate.
The programme which focuses on health care is known as 'Kindness Heals'.
Students older than 15 will now be able to touch base with the ill and elderly through any medical institution or hospital across the capital city, said a HAAD customer service spokesperson. "The initiative is meant to attract all sorts of nationalities and age groups to offer their kind services and gestures to those in need, especially among the elderly," he told Gulf News.
HAAD's first initiative with volunteer work took place at Shaikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) two years ago where a multi-cultural mix of people above the age of 15 were encouraged to dedicate their time and energy in helping others.
To date there are 178 active volunteers at SKMC who - apart from their volunteer activities - have jobs in different professions and career paths. Volunteers come from 30 countries including the UAE, France, Brazil, Iraq, Spain, the Philippines, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and New Zealand.
According to the SKMC website, voluntary work entails helping a person to fulfill the needs of patients and the community by assisting in a variety of ways.
These include educating the community on health related issues and providing valuable services such wheel-chair assistance and providing office and administrative assistance.
Volunteers: Fill out forms
To participate in the Shaikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) Volunteer programme fill out the application form and e-mail it to volunteers@skmc.gov.ae or call 02-6104505 with your queries.
For further information on the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) volunteer initiative contact: 800800.
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