Dubai Health Authority to expand elderly centre

Dubai, UAE, June 20, 2016:   The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) will expand its elderly centre to provide the highest quality of geriatric in-patient and outpatient services, said a top health official.

His Excellency Humaid Al Qatami, Chairman of the Board and Director-General of the DHA made the announcement during his recent visit to the elderly centre.

Al Qatami and Major General Mohammad Ahmad Al Marri, Director General of General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs-Dubai attended the Ramadan tent for elderly patients at the family gathering centre for the third consecutive year.

Al Qatami said: “In line with the vision of the Authority we will continue to expand our geriatric care services. The expansion of the family gathering centre will take into consideration all aspects of geriatric care. We will have specialized in-patient and outpatient services, we will use the latest medical technology and will provide facilities including a mosque in the premises of the centre.”

Al Qatami added that the expansion and provision of highly specialized geriatric care is in line with the vision of the Authority and the expansion will help increase the centre’s capacity to treat in-patient and outpatients.

Al Qatami was speaking on the sidelines of his visit to the Ramadan tent at the centre.

The tent has been set up for all in-patients and outpatients of the centre.  Family members as well as community members are encouraged to visit the tent to meet elderly patients and seek their blessings. The interaction also helps promote a family-oriented atmosphere in the centre and provides an opportunity for the youth to interact and learn from the elderly.

Al Qatami said: “The Holy month of Ramadan is a blessed month and the Authority has organised a series of health awareness lectures, religious lectures, Iftars, medical-checks ups and indoor games to help maintain and improve the cognitive skills of in-patients and out-patients at the centre. The Ramadan tent also provides an opportunity for the community to interact with elderly patients, spend time with them and seek their blessings.”

Dr Salwa Al Suwaidi, geriatrician and director of the centre, said: “We have organized several initiatives for our elderly patients at the centre during the Holy month of Ramadan.  At the Ramdan tent, we have been organizing lectures on active ageing and nutrition lectures that provide information on how to maintain a healthy diet during Ramdan. We have also carried out screening programs for both in-patients and outpatients. In cooperation with Islamic Affairs and Charitable Activities Department in Dubai (IACAD), the Centre has been holding religious lectures after the Tarawih prayers. We have also organised simple physiotherapy exercises at the Ramadan tent as well as activities such as chess and carom, which help development of cognitive skills.”

Al Suwaidi said the Authority has organized four Iftars at the Centre and plans to organize another four Iftars with the participation of friends and family members of elderly patients.

The tent is open for all and takes place on all days of the week, after the Tarawih prayers from 10 pm until midnight.

Al Suwaidi said people who wish to greet the elderly during this holy month are welcome to visit the family gathering centre.