Abu Dhabi: Residents in the emirate of Abu Dhabi are being urged to volunteer their time at public health-care facilities to mark the UAE’s Year of Giving.
Volunteers can read a book to a hospitalised child, show new patients to the waiting areas or spend time with the elderly in any of the Abu Dhabi Health Services Company’s (Seha) facilities, which include seven hospitals and a range of clinics, said Madiha Al Marzouqi, group human resources director at Seha.
“We hope 2017 will be a particularly productive one in terms of voluntary effort. Such contributions from community members are a means to do good and we hope to expand upon such opportunities in this Year of Giving,” Al Marzouqi said.
According to the official, a total of 3,776 people have spent their time during 2015 and 2016 engaged in voluntary activities across the Seha facilities.
In particular, the Shaikh Khalifa Medical City (SKMC) has been very successful at recruiting and involving community members. Al Marzouqi said that 2,992 people had worked to create public health awareness at the 764-bed hospital over the last two years, in addition to entertaining children and working with the elderly during their stay.
“All our volunteers are interviewed, and they receive three hours of training beforehand. While we accept volunteers from all nationalities, the minimum age requirement is 16 years,” said Badriya Al Za’abi, senior volunteer programme officer at the SKMC.
Al Za’abi said that a number of the available volunteering activities aimed to make hospital stays comfortable for patients, including yoga, beautification and language classes.
“We usually have a waiting list for people who wish to volunteer with us at any given time. In fact, our oldest volunteer is a 75-year-old former doctor who loves to work with us,” she said.
Preliminary training will also be offered to any residents who sign up at other Seha health-care facilities, and residents can opt for a facility that is easiest for them to visit. These include Mafraq Hospital, Al Rahba Hospital, Corniche Hospital, Seha Dialysis Centres, Al Ain Hospital, Tawam Hospital, Al Gharbiya Hospitals and the clinics of the Ambulatory Healthcare Services.
“While patients derive much satisfaction from these activities, it also offers the volunteers much peace because of their ability to make a social contribution,” Al Za’abi said.
