Community well-being in focus

Dubai: Dr Mariam Mattar, Director General of the Community Development Authority (CDA), Dubai, said access to high-quality medical services for every resident of the UAE in general and Dubai in particular remained the central focus of the CDA.

No community could aspire to make progress without every member being assured about his or her well-being and healthy future through access to proper health care services, she said.

"We have to establish a system that does not distinguish between people because of their nationalities and income. The availability of basic health services that do not differentiate between UAE nationals and others is the right of every citizen of this land.

"Those who have served this land and worked in the country should not be denied health services because they don't have the resources to pursue treatment. On the contrary, and in tune with our Arab and Islamic values, the UAE society is more generous with its guests than it is with its own members," she said.

Regardless of who is going to pay for the medical care, Dr Mariam said the Community Development Authority would strive to ensure full rights to medical treatment for all residents of the country.

She said the CDA would also give attention to mental health to ensure the growth of a stable and prosperous society that encouraged close bonds among its members.