Dubai: Dubai Police issued 5,537 food permits and facilitated 6,391 medical tests, while handling 244 humanitarian cases and repatriating 652 individuals in Naif during the national sterilisation programme to curb the spread of coronavirus, it was announced on Saturday.
Major General Abdullah Ali Al Ghaithi, Director of Organisations Protective Security and Emergency, Member of the Dubai’s Supreme Committee of Crisis and Disaster Management, said, “With creative solutions, our task forces, aided by 14 strategic partners, overcame several challenges including, managing the crowds in a civil and flexible manner, providing food, and ensuring the cooperation of residents in the area while carrying out the sterilisation programme.”
Over 5,500 permits were issued to food, gas trucks and government vehicles entering Naif during the programme, and support was provided to medical staff to facilitate over 6,000 medical tests. A further 600 plus were repatriated and nearly 250 humanitarian cases were dealt with.
“The team attended to the needs of patients of chronic diseases, pregnant women, and people with emergencies,” added Al Ghaithi.
A medical service team in collaboration with the Department of Economic Development in Dubai, was responsible for re-operating three pharmacies in the area to provide medical essentials to the residents, and a financial services task force facilitated the reopening of eight currency exchange shops. While another mission was responsible for closing markets and commercial stores, fining 329 individuals and 195 stores for violations.
Another task force delivered 600,000 meals and 150 food baskets to families.
“To overcome these challenges, Dubai Police utilised the latest models of drones in crowd management and awareness process. In addition to recruiting volunteers, of the same nationality as the residents, as well as the efforts of our onsite patrols, mounted police, and the K9 dogs,” said Al Ghaithi.
Brigadier General Tariq Mohammad Noor Tahlak, Director of Naif Police Station, said, “Although there are 74,377 people who live in an area of 3.2 square kilometres that has 17,186 buildings, Dubai Police dispatched 39 patrols to secure the area and provide assistance to two medical tents with 32 medical workers.
“In addition, we applied a highly professional security cordon system, and flied drones and dispatched bicycle and mounted patrols across the area,” he added.
“We also set up field hospitals and sterilisation gates in the area. Moreover, we implemented an internal isolation system, provided food meals, attended to humanitarian cases, and ensured the closure of markets and shops during the programme,” he said.
Tahlak said that all task forces assigned to Naif contributed to handling forty criminal reports, two traffic reports, one lost-and-found report, and seven identity verification requests.
“The operations of the National Sterilisation Programme in Naif were completed successfully, thanks to the 14 strategic partners that collaborated with the task forces of policemen, mounted police officers, and security patrols staffed by different general departments of Dubai Police,” Tahlak added.
