Al Jalila Children's Speciality Hospital commenced services in its Outpatient Department

Dubai, UAE, October 4, 2016:  Al Jalila Children’s, the UAE’s first specialised children’s hospital located in the heart of Dubai, commenced services in its Outpatient Department on 15 August 2016. The services include a comprehensive schedule of outpatient clinics and support services covering paediatric specialties and subspecialties. The Outpatient Department operates five days a week, from Sunday to Thursday, and is open from 7:30am to 2:30pm.

The ultra-modern facility is equipped with state-of-the-art medical technology and eco-friendly building systems, which contribute to the child and family friendly environment. A team of expert paediatricians and highly qualified paediatric nursing and paramedical staff have been sourced locally and internationally. The Al Jalila Foundation, a global philanthropic organisation, took ownership of the hospital, achieving a significant milestone in its endeavours to pioneer multi-spectrum paediatric care in the region, and beyond. 

Al Jalila Children’s will encompass six dedicated Centres of Excellence: Heart Centre, Neurosciences Centre, Kidney Centre, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre, Critical Care Centre and a Cancer and Blood Disorders Centre.  The Child and Adolescent Mental Health Centre is unique to Al Jalila Children’s and a first in the region. A multidisciplinary team of top professionals, including psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, mental health nurses and other specialists will support children, adolescents and their families in the complex care environment of mental disorders. 

Commented Her Excellency, Dr Raja Easa Al Gurg, Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Al Jalila Foundation: “The commencement of Al Jalila’s Outpatient Services is another important step to achieve His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s, UAE Vice President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, vision to redefine pediatric healthcare in the UAE and the region. At Al Jalila Children’s Hospital we intend to not only provide healthcare for our paediatric patients, but also offer lifecare to our patients and their families, enabling them to coexist in society as peers, retaining the essence of their childhood and family hood. Dedicated exclusively to the treatment of children and adolescents, the facility is set to become a trusted partner to children and their families, not only for the duration of their treatment, but throughout their life journey. “

CEO of Al Jalila Foundation, Dr Abdulkareem Sultan Al Olama connects the Foundation’s core values with that of the hospital: “Al Jalila Children’s perfectly reflects our Foundation’s beliefs. It exemplifies our pursuit to expand and enhance medical services, medical technology, education and research in the UAE.  Not only will the hospital cater to the well-being of sick children, it will promote advancement in clinical care that will help generations to come and support our vision to be at the centre of medical innovation, worldwide.”

Elaborating on the facilities and services at Al Jalila Children’s, Dr Moza Ajaif Al Zaabi, the CEO of the hospital, said: “We wanted to create an environment that removes any negative connotations children and adolescents may have with hospitals and allow them to be what they are - a child, an adolescent, a young person. The fact that our patients require treatment or many times complex care does not mean that they have to be deprived of childhood or a loving relationship with their families. Our goal is to enable our patients to have equal opportunities and become integral members of society, within the confines of their health condition. The hospital is fitted with the latest in medical equipment and provides innovative technological solutions in addition to access to a comprehensive continuum of integrated services to meet our patients’ needs. Our hospital has the capacity to care for more than twenty thousand paediatric inpatients and more than seventy thousand outpatient visits per year.”

Al Jalila Children’s fosters a culture of excellence within a collaborative environment and will provide tertiary and, ultimately, quaternary paediatric healthcare services.