DM joins Rashid Hospital to celebrate International Day for Older Persons

The delegation, which included Eng. Salah Amiri, Assistant Director General for General Support Services, Khalid Mohammed Badri, Director of Corporate Marketing and Relations Department, Khalid AbdelRahim Abdulla, Director of Customer Relations Department, Juma Khalifa Al Fuqae, Director of General Maintenance Department and Ismail Al Banna, Director of International Organizations and Bodies Department, also presented gifts to the geriatric patients as a token on appreciation towards the elderly people in the society.

"Keeping our culture in mind we are aware that such activities cannot be restricted to only one day and should be carried out throughout the year," Al Shamsi said, adding that it is part of the Municipality's social responsibility.

"We are pleased to coordinate with Rashid Hospital to undertake such activities. We should keep in mind that the elderly have worked hard when they were young and have helped shape our society. Now, it is our turn to ensure that we respect and care them," he said.

Walid Jamal Al Sawalhi, Director of Finance and Administration, Rashid Hospital expressed the appreciation on the visit of a high-ranking delegation from Dubai Municipality.

"The elderly are very important to us and at Rashid hospital we take utmost care of our geriatric patients. From providing them with medical facilities, rehabilitation and physiotherapy to assigning social workers for them, we ensure that all aspects of care are given to them," he said.

"We are now planning to open a 50 bed ward before the end of this year, specifically for our geriatric patients. It is a part of our culture to provide the very best care to our elderly," said Al Sawalhi.

Similar sentiments towards the elderly have motivated social workers at Rashid Hospital to take utmost care of their geriatric patients. Everyday the social workers ensure that they visit all 54 geriatric patients in Rashid Hospital -24 male patients and 30 female patients.

Mariyam Ahmed, 74, a patient in Rashid Hospital said: "I didn't even know there was a day dedicated to the elderly. It feels special and I am thankful to them for their visit."

Badriya Mohammad Hassan, a social worker at Rashid Hospital said:

"We ensure that we give our elderly special care. Fortunately most of the patients have families who love and take care of them. However, there are very few who do not have anyone and continue to stay in the hospital. We ensure that we spend more time with such patients."

While some do not have any family, others suffer from chronic conditions and their average stay in hospitals is about 5 years. Hassan said "Such patients are few in number and become a part of our family because we interact with them on a regular basis."