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Dh135m for expanding Al Ain's Oasis Hospital

ABU DHABI — In a generous gesture to boost health services, the President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, has given a grant-in-aid of Dh135 million towards expansion of the facilities at the Oasis Hospital in Al Ain City.

The hospital's 40-bed capacity has been increased to 200 beds under the expansion programme initiated by Shaikh Khalifa.

Praising the benevolent move of the President, Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, said the assistance of Shaikh Khalifa represents moral as well as material support for the health services in Abu Dhabi and the emirates at large.

He hailed the role of Oasis Hospital in providing effective health services for the cities of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain over the past few decades.

He said building the hospital was the brainchild of late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan to provide health services for the people of Al Ain, who he said were facing several difficulties at that time.

In 1995, people of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain were facing hardship as there were neither educational and health facilities nor monetary resources, stated Shaikh Mohammed, recalling that 1 out of 3 women were dying during delivery, while 1out of 2 infants was surviving.

The visionary decision of late Shaikh Zayed to build a hospital has greatly contributed in improving quality of life whereas the high 50 per cent mortality rate among women and children dramatically dropped to 0.5 per cent. The number of births was now estimated at around 80,000 annually. Shaikh Mohammed stated the blueprint to modernise and develop health institutions is in line with a comprehensive strategy for empowering service organisations.

For his part, Brooks Glett, President of Oasis Hospital, said this amazing grant of funds for new development at Oasis Hospital, is evidence that the late Shaikh Zayed was one of those rare people who was able to pass on his vision to his sons.

He lauded President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa and Shaikh Mohammed for the privilege to serve the people of this great nation for the past 45 years, and their extreme generosity toward the work of Oasis Hospital.

Recalling the hardships before the hospital came into existence, Glett said the hospital started in 1960 when 50 per cent of the babies in the Al Ain area were dying, and 35 per cent of the pregnant mothers were dying.

"Because of his love for the people and his vision for what could be, the late Shaikh Zayed invited Doctors Pat and Marian Kennedy to come to Al Ain and start the Oasis Hospital. Shaikh Zayed even donated the use of his own guest house as a clinic. Later he donated land for permanent buildings," recalled Glett.

He said Oasis Hospital has always operated as a not-for-profit hospital. "Therefore, our primary vision remains: to provide quality, international health care and services for the communities we serve, and to be the hospital of choice for people and their families in Al Ain and neighbouring communities".