Oasis Hospital In Al Ain Renamed 'Kanad Hospital'

AL AIN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 22nd Dec, 2019) Under the directives of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the Oasis Hospital in Al Ain has been renamed "Kanad Hospital".

The name change comes in honour and appreciation of the efforts of Dr. Pat and Marian Kennedy, the hospital’s founders, who started providing healthcare for infants in the city of Al Ain in the 1960s and coincides with the values of tolerance and coexistence.

The hospital’s new branding was launched by Sheikh Hazza bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Under-Secretary of the Court of the Abu Dhabi Ruler’s Representative in Al Ain Region, as part of a ceremony organised on this occasion in the presence of Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al-Khaili, Chairman of Department of Community Development – Abu Dhabi, Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed, Chairman of Department of Health, Abdullah Mohammed Al Nuaimi, Acting Executive Director of the National Tolerance Programme, and the family of Dr. Pat Kennedy.

The attendees toured the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Majilis, which is a prominent landmark in the city of Al Ain, located directly near the hospital entrance.

The Majlis includes an exhibition of rare photos that highlight the history of Al Ain and the stages of the development the city has undergone in various sectors, especially the health care sector.

"Kanad" Hospital, as it was known amongst the people, has a special place within the Al Ain community as it was the first healthcare centre of its kind in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The hospital, which is preparing to celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2020, has witnessed six decades of memories of the city, the birth of tens of thousands of its children and important stages of history and evolution of healthcare and wellbeing in the emirate. The hospital now offers world-class medical services in all areas of healthcare, thanks to the continuous support of the wise leadership.

The story goes back to 1960, when the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan invited the Kennedys to set up a facility to provide healthcare services for newborns and infants, given that the newborns at the time were susceptible to diseases that were prevalent at the time, and which led to an increase in deaths among infants.

This year, the hospital has celebrated the birth of 120,000 children since its foundation.

The hospital witnessed the birth of many members of the royal family in Abu Dhabi during the years following its establishment, among them His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Since its establishment, the hospital has gone through several developmental stages with the support of wise leadership, most notably in 2015 with the opening of the new building equipped with the latest medical equipment and facilities.

In the hospital, pediatricians see approximately 9,000 children per month in its outpatient seasons. Dr. Pat and Marian Kennedy worked in Al Ain until 1975.

Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed Al Hamed. Chairman of Department of Health – Abu Dhabi, underscored that the UAE’s wise leadership is carrying forward the ethos that was espoused by the founding father the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his legacy.

Since the foundation of the Union, the late Sheikh Zayed prioritised the provision of a robust healthcare system that would serve the UAE’s community and ensure their well-being.

He pointed out that naming the hospital after Dr. Pat and Marian Kennedy, is in line with the wise leadership’s keenness to honour and appreciate such important people whose valuable efforts continue to serve the healthcare sector and contribute to its progress until this day.

He also highlighted that Department of Health always strives, under the direction of the UAE’s leadership, to ensure the delivery of comprehensive and world-class healthcare services. The Department of Health continues to embark on a successful journey of the development of the sector, whilst working alongside SEHA and various partners from both the public and private sectors.

Alex Jankulowski, CEO of "Kanad" Hospital said that the generation currently working in the hospital is fully aware of the achievements and sacrifices made by those who have served the Al Ain community over the past six decades.

"Their accomplishments interest and motivate us daily to preserve their legacy and keep pace with the bright future of the Al Ain community, which is supported and cared for by the wise leadership, to whom we owe our gratitude, and we thank the Abu Dhabi Government for choosing to honour the Kennedy family" he added.