Abu Dhabi: A private hospital in Abu Dhabi is trying to trace the first baby born in their maternity ward 30 years ago to coincide with their 30th anniversary this month.

The only one in Abu Dhabi exclusively offering maternity and child care, the Corniche Hospital is sending the word out for parents of children who were born at the hospital in 1984 – the year the hospital was commissioned.

“The first baby girl was delivered in our hospital on August 30, 1984. In our records, she was named Faleh. We cannot divulge more details as we are bound by patient information confidentiality,” Linda Clarke, CEO of Corniche Hospital, told XPRESS.

Social media campaign

“Ten babies were delivered on the same day. And we are looking forward to reconnecting with all of them. They share a special place in the hospital’s history and growth over the years,” added Clarke.

The hospital is planning to launch a social media campaign to trace the babies. “Our aim is to reach out to them by the end of this year. We request residents and families to contact us if they have any information about the Corniche babies,” said Clarke.

“I am positive we can do this because I have done this in a hospital in Atlanta in the US. We traced a man who was born 80 years ago when the hospital was first established.”

Corniche Hospital located on the Corniche road behind the Sheraton Hotel is a sprawling facility today offering the entire spectrum of pre- and post-natal care, child care, infertility treatment and foetal medicine.

The hospital is older than 30 years as the first facility was run from a building in 1976. The old building was torn down to make way for the new hospital that was constructed in the same compound in 1984.

The Corniche Hospital has since helped deliver more than 200,000 babies.

“We are very much a part of the local community here. Somebody’s child or sister or family member is invariably born in our hospital,” said Clarke.

She said the growth and expansion of the hospital runs parallel to the growth of the UAE. “Thirty years ago, most women in the UAE used to give birth in the privacy of their homes. But as the hospital grew and our facilities expanded to cover a whole range of maternity care, women started seeking professional help and assistance in delivery,” said Clarke.

Today the hospital is the leading service provider in mid-wifery with more than 100 mid-wives available for supporting pregnant women and young mothers. The hospital launched the first midwifery programme in 2011 in collaboration with the Higher Colleges of Technology. The programme was designed to address the high demand for midwife services. The programme saw the first three Emiratis graduate in 2012.