Abu Dhabi: Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance, was named Personality of the Year by the Sultan Bin Khalifa International Thalassaemia Award in its first edition 2011-2013, in recognition of his efforts to improve the lives of thalassaemia patients in the region and beyond.
The announcement was made today (Monday) at a press conference at the palace of Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Advisoer to the UAE President and the patron of the award.
Shaikh Hamdan established the Middle East’s first specialised thalassaemia centre in 1989 in Dubai. He also gave directives to construct a new building for the facility in Dubai, making it the largest thalassaemia centre in the Arab region. He inaugurated the centre in 1995, and it is now known as the Genetic and Thalassaemia Centre.
In March 2006, The Thalassaemia Centre became an independent entity directly reporting to the headquarters of the Department of Health and Medical Services in Dubai.
In December 2006, the centre was awarded the Shaikh Hamdan Excellency Award for Medical Sciences, while in November 2007 the centre was the first in the Middle East to receive accreditation from the Joint Commission for International Accreditation.
