Meet the Emirati nurse Atheeja Boussaiba

Atheeja is well-known in the local community for being one of the first Emirati nurses

Last updated: October 21, 2019 | 08:00

2 MIN READ

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Atheeja Boussaiba aged five in 1956, wearing the traditional Emirati dress and hair styled in pigtails.

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A portrait photo of Atheeja as a teenager. In the early days, many young girls stayed at home instead of attending school.

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Noor Ali Rashid, the UAE’s official photographer, took a photo of Atheeja (second left) with the first baby born at Kuwait Hospital in 1967.

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Nurses at Kuwait Hospital had to provide oral care for patients, in addition to administrating injections and prescribing medicine.

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Dubai International Airport, 1973. Atheeja was dressed in her nurse’s uniform and ready to go to Egypt and follow the delegation of volunteers from the UAE Ministry of Health.

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Atheeja (centre) sharing a moment with colleagues and the head nurse of Qasr Al Ainy Hospital in Cairo, Egypt 1973.

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Volunteer nurses who helped in the October War were awarded for their services by the Egyptian Minister of Health (right) with the UAE Minister of health (standing in the background on the right). Atheeja can be seen waiting in line at the centre.

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A group photo of volunteers consisting of doctors and nurses who treated the injured during the Arab-Israeli War of 1973.

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Atheeja was invited by Dubai Municipality to join the entourage of officials to inaugurate Dubai Museum at Fahidi Fort in 1971.

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Atheeja would catch up on international news during her breaks at Kuwait Hospital.

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In 1979, Atheeja worked as Public Duties Supervisor at the Sharjah Medical Services.

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