Dubai: A new patient support initiative to help underprivileged expatriate patients of cancer and Multiple Sclerosis in the UAE was launched at Germany Pavilion in Expo 2020 Dubai here today.
The tripartite memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP), Merck Serono Middle East and Al Manzil Healthcare Services. The new partnership will provide medication to patients facing affordability issues and those with or without partial health insurance coverage, who have been diagnosed with colorectal, head and neck and urothelial cancer, as well as multiple sclerosis. Both these medical conditions have a high rate of fatality and require a long-drawn and expensive treatment protocol.
Titled the ‘Rawan Initiative, in memory of young marketing employee Rawan Al Charif from Merck Serono, the initiative is a tribute to her. The young professional recently passed away while resting at home due to inexplicable reasons.
Providing medicines
Addressing the gathering, Dr Amin Hussein Al Amiri, Undersecretary of Health Regulation Sector, said the initiative would provide medicines of a total value of Dh500 million to underprivileged expatriates in UAE who were unable to afford treatment for these diseases.
The MoU was signed by Dr Al Amiri, Ramsey Morad, senior vice-president and head of MEAR region, Merck Healthcare, and Yasser Quraishy, managing director at Al Manzil Healthcare Services.
The programme was also attended by dignitaries from Merck as well as Ernst Peter Fischer, Ambassador of the German Federation in UAE, and Professor Frank Stangenberg-Haverkamp, chairman of the Executive Board and Family Board of E. Merck KG.
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‘In line with UAE’s National Agenda’
Dr Al Ameri highlighted the work UAE had done in several patient-support programmes. “This is patient support programme No 19 in the UAE. Our mission is to provide the people of the UAE with health care of the very highest standard. A part of this mission, and in line with the National Agenda, is to address the incidence of cancer and other diseases that severely impact our people, to support longer, happier and healthier lives for all. With the support of programmes, such as this one, we can ensure access to the very latest medicines, for all our people and improve the overall quality of health care in the UAE.”
