Dubai: High-cost cardiac surgeries and other humanitarian services in the medical field will be provided free of cost to the underprivileged.
The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and the Mohammad Bin Rashid Charity and Humanitarian Establishment (MBRCHE) signed an agreement in this regard on Monday.
The two organisations have a long-standing relationship and this memorandum of understanding will help expand cooperation to reach out to individual and provide medical treatment to those with financial difficulties and MBRCHE, said a DHA spokesperson.
The two sides will also continue cooperation for the Nabadat programme under the patronage of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Initiatives. Nabadat, which means heartbeat, is a joint initiative that provides free medical assistance, surgery and post-surgical care to children whose parents cannot afford to pay for treatment of congenital heart diseases.
So far, since its inception, more than 1,000 children have received free heart surgeries or catherisation procedures and more than 5,000 children have received free cardiac screening. The Nabadat team has visited Sudan thrice. The team has also provided free heart surgeries to children in Addis Ababa, Mauritania, India, Egypt and Tajikistan to name a few.
The MoU will further strengthen the Nabadat programme.
Additionally, medical equipment, which is fit to be used, will be sent to countries of need. The MoU will also provide an opportunity for enhanced cooperation for joint charitable initiatives.
Humaid Al Qutami, Director-General of the DHA praised the Mohammed Bin Rashid Charity and Humanitarian Establishment for its role in successfully carrying out several humanitarian aid initiatives at a local, regional and global levels.
Al Qutami said the initiatives have helped make a qualitative difference in people’s lives and communities. He added that such initiatives reflect the values of the founding father of the UAE, Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan.
Ibrahim Bu Melha, Adviser of His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum for Cultural and Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the MBRCHE said: “The foundation is guided by the values of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai and we have actively participated in aid campaigns in the medical field to help alleviate the suffering of those in need. The MoU with the DHA will help us provide high-quality medical services to those with financial difficulties. We also look forward to collaborating on a number of health initiatives.”
At the end of the ceremony, DHA and MBRCHE felicitated the Nabadat team for providing 134 cardiac procedures (90 open-heart and 44 catherisations) for children aged newborn to 14 years with congenital heart ailments.
The procedures were conducted at Fortis Hospital, Mulund and S.L. Raheja, a Fortis Associate Hospital in Mumbai. Additionally, the team also conducted free paediatric cardiac check-ups for more than 300 children.
