Al Zahra Hospital, the first and largest private general hospital in the UAE, organized on Monday its first university health clinic, which took place in Sharjah at the American University of Sharjah campus. The clinic aimed at spreading health awareness amongst young people in the UAE, and was the first in a series of clinics to be organized by Al Zahra that will tour the universities and malls of the UAE in the coming months.
“This type of orientation program is crucial for instilling healthy habits in young people and spreading a culture of prevention. Al Zahra Hospital is committed to this cause and we encourage individuals, organizations and communities to understand the importance of this issue,” said Dr. Tariq Mehmood, Marketing and Public Relations manager at Al Zahra Hospital,
The campaign targeted students, staff members and faculty, who came in droves to participate. They were all given health screenings, including measurements of BMI, blood pressure, sugar levels, and lung capacity. At the end of the camp, participants were issued health certificates and given instructions on how to lead a healthier lifestyle.
“When you are young you very rarely consider your health or look at things from a long-term perspective. You take things like regular medical checkups for granted simply because you don’t feel sick. From these camps we want young people to grow up with the habit of never missing their annual checkups, and with the mentality that their current lifestyle may have a decisive effect on their future health,” said Dr. Irshad Leghari, General Physician, Al Zahra Hospital.
The clinic also addressed issues such as obesity and diabetes, which are common in the UAE and largely a result of bad eating habits and lack of exercise.
“The rates of obesity and diabetes in this country are very high and this is a cause of great concern. While this is a worldwide problem, it seems to be a major concern in this country. This may be related to lifestyle, eating habits and there may be other contributing factors that we are not aware of. However, a healthy lifestyle, regular exercise and a balanced diet do have beneficial effects and help reduce the risk of developing these problems.,” added Dr. Trevor Gibbie, Chief of Medical Staff at Al Zahra Hospital.
A number of doctors and nurses from Al Zahra took part in the clinic at AUS.
