It all began in a small guesthouse, located on what was then an isolated plane dotted with ghaf trees, where two American doctors established Al Ain's first health clinic.
The year was 1960 and Pat and Marian Kennedy had come to the UAE to set up a clinic upon the invitation of the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who donated the small building on the outskirts of the city.
With an infant mortality rate as high as 50 per cent and maternal mortality at 35 per cent in those days, there was a pressing need for enhanced medical services and the small clinic soon expanded to become the emirate's first hospital.
According to longtime hospital staff, patients often travelled long distances on foot and by camel for medical attention, with some camping outside the hospital grounds.
Now, over 45 years later, Oasis, or Al Waha, Hospital continues to provide services to the people of Al Ain and beyond, delivering around 1,900 babies and treating around 78,000 outpatients every year.
According to the hospital, over 80,000 babies have been born at Oasis, including General Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Force. Hospital staff say they are now seeing the third generation of "Oasis Babies".
The hospital that has become part of the fabric of Al Ain entered a new phase in May last year, branching out further and becoming part of Cure International's global network of hospitals.
According to the hospital's new president and CEO David Printy, Cure, a US-based non-governmental organisation, was founded in 1998 by two doctors - like Oasis itself - with the aim of "bringing first world health care to those in need".
"Since then some 450,000 children have been treated worldwide, through a model of care that impacts the whole community," Printy explained.
Cure hospitals, including those in Afghanistan, Uganda, Honduras and Egypt, generally receive 50 per cent funding from donors and 50 per cent from operating costs.
Expansion plans
While most Cure hospitals are located in places where public health facilities are greatly lacking, Oasis became the second Cure hospital in the Middle East last May, to serve as a support hub for Cure in the Middle East and Asia.
Plans are under way for a Cure hospital in Palestine, which Printy says will operate like a branch of Oasis.
"We are expanding in the Middle East and Oasis will help to do that.
"Oasis will continue to expand for the community here, while also serving as a place where physicians from other countries can come and train and take the knowledge back," Printy explained.
While Oasis prepares to undergo a Dh135-million expansion from this summer, Printy describes the hospital as the "birthplace of health care in the UAE" and an "integral part of the community".
"Oasis has such a tremendous history, with many people in the leadership born here, and we also provide for those with little or no financial resources," he said, adding that approximately 10 to 15 per cent of the budget goes towards charity cases. According to Printy, Cure operates on a philosophy that everyone should contribute as much as they can to their health care - whether that is by giving a chicken as payment, as happened in Kenya, or a financial contribution.
"Ultimately Cure has a policy of never refusing care to anyone. Around 15 per cent of our patients come from Oman, some driving 150 kilometres to give birth," he said.
One longtime Oasis staff member is American Larry Liddle, also known as "Dr Fouad", who says he and his wife only planned to stay in Al Ain for an initial three-month stint. That was in 1975. Dr Liddle remains at Oasis to this day, now serving as Senior Medical Adviser and Family Practice consultant.
"We didn't plan to stay for very long, but as they say in Arabic, we "got sand in our sandals". Really, we just liked the people and enjoyed the country and practicing family medicine here," he said.
Surge in patients
This longtime Al Ain resident and fluent Arabic speaker says the main changes that the hospital has undergone has been in the expansion of its services, which at some stages in its long history have been gradual, and other times more rapid - such as now.
According to Printy, since the introduction of the Abu Dhabi health insurance system last year, whereby patients have more flexibility in where they seek treatment, the hospital has seen a 40 per cent increase in the number of patients.
"There really has been quite a big surge in patients. Now the challenge is to recruit high quality staff. In the next 60 days we are looking to add 30 additional nurses and six new doctors," he explained.
Inside the main structure of the hospital is a majlis, which documents the hospital's rich history and pays tribute to the founders and those who have worked there over the years, as well as the community.
"To me, the most gratifying part has been the relationships with patients and being able to treat three generations of the same family," said Dr Liddle.
Pioneers honoured
Oasis founders Pat and Marian Kennedy were given the Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Honouring Individual Work in the Field of Medicine and Health in 2006.
Oasis statistics
Patients seen annually: 78,000 Doctors: 26
www.cureinternational.org
