Hospital provides lounges for elderly to receive relatives

The Obaidullah Geriatric Hospital, RAK, has designated a number of lounges for patients to receive their visitors comfortably during the holy month of Ramadan.

A senior official said this is meant to make the patients happier while receiving their children and grandchildren.

Mohammed Rashid Al Shehi, director of the hospital, said the spacious salons are more to the liking of the patients who prefer to spend the visiting hours away from the treatment rooms. The hospital sees 15 to 20 family visits daily.

Inaugurated in 2009, it is a gift from Emirati businessman Mohammed Ibrahim bin Obaidullah and can accommodate up to 126 patients. Currently, there are 58 patients — 24 men and 34 women. The two-storeyed, 90,000-square-feet hospital comprises hypnosis rooms, two emergency units, halls, food courts, a garden, a conference ballroom, a physical therapy unit and a prayer room.

Mahra Saray, media and communication manager at the RAK Medical Zone, said the Ministry of Health is paying a lot of attention to this important segment of society.

“We are adopting diverse programmes for the convenience of the elderly here. We are also providing a number of home-based medical services,” Saray said.

The RAK Medical Zone has run several entertainment programmes and visits for the elderly patients here in the first week of Ramadan.

ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com