Dubai: A team of Dubai Government volunteers has been working diligently to ease the suffering of families who have lost loved ones due to COVID-19. In coordination with local and federal entities, they help speed up procedures and ensure all post-mortality protocols are rigorously followed.
According to Dubai Media Office, the team was formed at the onset of pandemic, based on the recommendation of Dubai’s COVID-19 Command and Control Centre. The volunteers came from Dubai Police, Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA), Dubai Courts, Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), Dubai Future Foundation, Dubai Municipality and Dubai Public Prosecution. It is led by Ahmed Huraimel, the adviser for The Model Center initiative of the General Secretariat of The Executive Council of Dubai.
How they work
The volunteer team establishes contact with the deceased individual’s families and assures them of their full support. The volunteer team provides moral and financial support to families of different cultures and faiths to expedite procedures related to the funeral.
One of the accomplishments of the team was to completely manage — upon family request — the funeral of a woman who died from COVID-19 in a private hospital in Dubai, In another case, the team fulfilled a request from the son of a deceased man to send him a photo of his father’s grave. The team has also received countless messages of appreciation from different people and organisations, including a message of gratitude from the Catholic community in the UAE.
Collaboration
Since its establishment, the team has made several recommendations to support the families of COVID-19 victims. In collaboration with Dubai Municipality, it has also trained qualified people to provide safety training for non-Muslims. Furthermore, in collaboration with the Red Crescent Authority in Dubai and other charitable societies, the team launched food distribution drives in Dubai during the period of intensified movement restrictions.
National duty
Huraimel, the team leader, said: “I consider my participation in the volunteer team as part of my national duty. Our leadership has taught us the importance of helping those in need. The team’s mission is to ensure protection, dignity and respect for the deceased and their families regardless of their faith and help them expedite funeral procedures according to approved protocols.”
“The team is composed of remarkable committed volunteers who are determined to demonstrate the humanitarian values of the UAE through initiatives on the ground. The team’s efforts add to Dubai’s standing in the global community as a city and society steadfastly committed to humanitarian and inclusive values,” he added.