ZHO Launches Diving Therapy For People Of Determination Programme

The Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs, ZHO, has launched the 'Diving Therapy for People of Determination Programme,' which is the first of its kind in a Gulf Cooperation Council, GCC, country, in cooperation with the General Command of the Abu Dhabi Police, ADP.

DUBAI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM - 19th Sep, 2018) The Zayed Higher Organisation for Humanitarian Care and Special Needs, ZHO, has launched the 'Diving Therapy for People of Determination Programme,' which is the first of its kind in a Gulf Cooperation Council, GCC, country, in cooperation with the General Command of the Abu Dhabi Police, ADP.

The launching ceremony, which was held today at the Atlantis Hotel in Dubai, was attended by Dr. Mugheer Khamis Al Khaili, Chairman of the Department of Community Development; Abdullah Al Humaidan, Secretary-General of the ZHO; Colonel Mohammed Ibrahim Al Ameri, Head of the Emergency and Public Safety Department in the Central Operations Sector of the ADP; Colonel Hilal Al Ameri, Deputy Commander of the Military sports Centre; Mariam Al Zaabi, Chairwoman of the Innovation Committee of the ZHO, and directors of ZHO care and rehabilitation centres.

The ceremony included a performance by People of Determination in an aquarium, which began with a rendition, by a group of deaf ZHO members, of the national anthem in sign language for the first time underwater while carrying the country’s flag, followed by a live presentation explaining the methods and skills used in the programme by People of Determination.

Al Khaili said that the programme will advance the treatment and rehabilitation of People of Determination and will bring their psychological and physical issues into the limelight.

He also thanked the ZHO and its partners, the ADP General Command and the General Command of the Armed Forces, for their relevant efforts to adopt new and innovative means of rehabilitating and caring for this important segment of society.

Al Humaidan said that the programme is one of the ZHO’s initiatives and projects that aim to offer the best services, utilise the latest advanced therapies, and care for and rehabilitee people of determination, according to the best international practices, in order to empower and integrate them into the community in the areas of education, business and culture.

Colonel Al Ameri highlighted the readiness of his centre’s diving instructors to offer their diving therapy skills to the programme and employ their relevant expertise while pointing out that the instructors are accredited and registered in the international the Professional Association of Diving Instructors and other relevant international organisations, and specialise in training people of determination on how to dive.

Al Zaabi said that the programme’s first stage will have four participants, pointing out that one therapy session takes around 40 minutes per participant. A total of 35 people were nominated by the ZHO for the first stage of the programme, and 100 participants from the community are expected to apply every year, she added.

She stressed that although there is no official age limit to join the programme, a degree of maturity is required, to guarantee the appropriate levels of understanding, cooperation and safety and therefore, the team running the programme has placed a minimum age limit of 14.