Corniche Hospital to celebrate the graduation of its 2nd Cohort of Midwifery Program

Abu Dhabi 24rd April, 2014: Corniche Hospital is all set to host the graduation ceremony of its second set of Midwifery program graduates who undertook a 18 month Midwifery program spearheaded by Corniche Hospital in association with Higher Colleges of Technology (HCT) in Abu Dhabi.

The ceremony which will be hosted on the 28th of April in Abu Dhabi’s Sheraton Hotel will felicitate 10 midwifery graduates who successfully completed the post-registered nurses' Bachelor of Applied Science in Midwifery which is the UAE capital's first program to train midwives.

As one of the major components of Corniche Hospital’s vision to be a leader in clinical education, the hospital launched the Midwifery program in 2011 in collaboration with Abu Dhabi’s Higher Colleges of Technology. The program was designed to address the high demand in midwife services in the UAE and in particular to attract UAE nationals to the profession. The program saw the first three UAE Nationals graduate from this program in the year 2012. 

“Corniche Hospital is very proud of our new graduates and confident that their role in the healthcare sector will have a strong impact on maternity care across the UAE. We also hope the Midwifery program will encourage and attract more Emirati women to enter this profession in the years to come, as there is a dire need for Emiratis midwives in the UAE. Patients prefer to be looked after by women they can relate to, someone who understands their cultural needs without explanation and therefore it is very important for more Emirati women to join the midwifery profession,” notedDr. Mariam Al Mazrouei, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operations Officer of Corniche Hospital.

Based on international standards, the midwifery program trains local healthcare practitioners to deliver care for the next generation of women and newborns. The curriculum is approved and overseen by HCT, the Corniche Hospital, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and the Health Authority-Abu Dhabi. During their studies, the midwifery students were employed by Corniche Hospital and placed in nursing roles best suited to their training and experience.

Speaking about the program, Dr. Grace Edwards, Assistant Director of Nursing and Midwifery and Program lead, Corniche Hospital said, “We are establishing a sound clinical and education foundation by accepting only 10 students per program. The focus is on offering the highest quality education and not on quantity. Candidates for the program are selected based on their qualifications and commitment to contributing to the highest quality, evidenced care for women and their families.” 

The next batch of students will begin the Midwifery program in August 2014. Information on the course is available on the HCT website.

Corniche Hospital is owned and operated by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA), which is responsible for the curative activities of all the public hospitals and clinics of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.