March 03, 2020 - Ras Al Khaimah, UAE:   In order to educate corporate employees on Coronavirus and to dispel the panic ensuing in the wake of the cases discovered in the UAE, RAK Hospital is currently running an emirate-wide campaign on creating awareness on the disease. The hospital is the first healthcare institution to take such an initiative in the UAE, aiming to highlight the advisory issued by both WHO and the Ministry of Health on preventive measures. Moreover, through a series of lectures it is also educating corporate employees on ways to cope with stress and fear during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

 

The campaign that began in February has so far reached out to almost 2000 employees across Ras Al Khaimah, including both executives and workers employed at malls, hotels and banks, among other corporates. In order to promote hand hygiene among the public, the hospital is also distributing wet tissues and hand sanitisers among employees. 

 

Explaining the initiative, Dr Raza Siddiqui, Executive Director at RAK Hospital said: “One big concern that we observed during the campaign was that people are generally confused or do not have clear understanding of the situation to deal with it properly. While the government is spreading awareness on preventive measures, we at RAK Hospital want to supplement this by reaching out to communities at the basic level. Through a series of lectures, the campaign aims to educate public on the symptoms of Coronavirus, criteria that people need to keep in mind when assessing their symptoms, and most importantly, precautionary measures to protect oneself – such as avoiding close contact with people suffering from respiratory issues and fever, hand hygiene, the use of masks and other such dos and don’ts”. 

 

During the lectures, employees further learnt about the criteria to identify suspected COVID-19 cases as per the WHO definition, tips on safe travelling to ensure maximum protection against the virus, and food safety measures to help contain the spread of the disease. Doctors further cautioned that employees should inform the staff immediately if they come in close contact with someone who is under investigation for flu-like infection and they are suffering from respiratory issues and fever. 

 

“Another very important aspect that we are covering during the campaign is ways to cope with stress during the COVID-19 outbreak. Understandably, people are worried, particularly when it comes to their children’s health. In this campaign we have highlighted the measures outlined by World Health Organisation to counter this fear, which includes steps such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle, exercising reasonable precaution and always turning to trustworthy and official sources when it comes to gathering information regarding Coronavirus in order to curtail unverified news,” added Dr Raza Siddiqui.

 

As per news reports, the viral outbreak that originated from China has infected around 89,000 people globally, resulting in over 3,000 deaths. In the UAE, a total of 21 cases have been discovered, five of which have recovered. 

 

For over a decade, RAK hospital has been serving the UAE residents with thoughtful, educative and informative programmes. The healthcare institution has been prolific in reaching out to community for active engagement and to create a happier, healthier environment.