United Arab Emirates, Dubai, January 5, 2012: His Excellency Qadhi Saeed Al Murooshid, Director-General of the Dubai Health Authority, felicitated thirty new mothers today at Latifa Hospital.
The hospital is one of the largest maternity and children's hospital in the UAE and was built in 1987. The hospital was earlier known as Al Wasl hospital and was renamed Latifa Hospital on the 4th of January, 2012 as per the orders of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai as a homage to the loving memory of his late mother Sheikha Latifa Bint Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed issued this directive on the sixth anniversary of his accession as the Ruler of Dubai.
In line with the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed, the Dubai Health Authority felicitated new mothers at the hospital.
Al Murooshid said, “This gesture is as per the orders of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President, Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai and we would like to honour and felicitate mothers for their endless devotion and dedication with which they spend their lives caring and loving their children, who are the future of tomorrow.”
Al Murooshid presented a certificate of appreciation to 30 new mothers in the hospital. He was accompanied by Dr Abdulla Al Khayat, CEO of Latifa Hospital.
Al Murooshid also expressed his appreciation to the hospital staff for their dedication and commitment and for their contribution which has helped the hospital achieve a highly reputable position.
Latifa Hospital provides tertiary care for maternal and neonatal services including paediatric and neonatal surgery as well as treatment for genetic & metabolic cases. However due to its highly sophisticated and well equipped Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Fetomaternal services and the Pediatric Surgery Unit , the hospital serves as a referral hospital and receives complex cases from the Dubai as well as the Northern Emirates.
The hospital has one of the largest neonatal units in the UAE and plans to further expand these facilities. Presently, the hospital has 34 incubators in the NICU section and the expansion will add 18 more incubators to the facility.
Al Khayat mentioned the hospital provides complete support to pregnant women and new mothers so that they can ease into their new role with comfort and confidence. He mentioned that the hospital was accredited by JCI in 2007 and re-accredited in 2010.
He also highlighted that the 444 bed hospital was conferred the ‘Baby Friendly’ hospital status in February 2011 by UNICEF for its effective implementation of practices that protect, promote and support breastfeeding.