Kiara Dhamecha, a 17-year-old pupil in Dubai, founded Heal to provide labourers with free health check-ups. Photo: Heal
Kiara Dhamecha, a 17-year-old pupil in Dubai, founded Heal to provide labourers with free health check-ups. Photo: Heal
Kiara Dhamecha, a 17-year-old pupil in Dubai, founded Heal to provide labourers with free health check-ups. Photo: Heal
Kiara Dhamecha, a 17-year-old pupil in Dubai, founded Heal to provide labourers with free health check-ups. Photo: Heal

Dubai schoolgirl's initiative eases access to free health check-ups for labourers


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A 17-year-old Dubai schoolgirl has been hard at work in her free time, organising free health check-ups for labourers across the city in an initiative she has founded called Heal.

Kiara Dhamecha, who plans to go to university in 2026, came up with the idea of providing accessible healthcare services to the UAE's labour market last year. Growing up in Dubai, she has seen many low-income employees in construction and other industries working in extreme weather without enough access to health and well-being support.

Inspired by a passion for medicine and the desire to become a doctor, she wanted to create a platform to address workers' health needs while also raising awareness about preventive care.

“The UAE provides all labourers with healthcare insurance and everyone has a card, but it's more that they don't know how to use it, when to use it or how to get there,” Kiara told The National. “With our initiative it's easier for them because everyone from the company goes and gets checked. It's quick, they get it done and then they have the card for any follow-ups.”

The first Heal camp ran in December, in partnership with Ajman's Thumbay University Hospital, when more than 100 workers were given free basic health check-ups. These included measuring BMI, blood pressure, glucose levels and cholesterol, followed by a consultation with a doctor who could advise on any necessary follow-ups or prescribe medication.

Kiara (third from right) alongside the rest of the volunteer team from Heal at Thumbay Clinic in Dubai during a free Friday clinic. Photo: Heal
Kiara (third from right) alongside the rest of the volunteer team from Heal at Thumbay Clinic in Dubai during a free Friday clinic. Photo: Heal

Since December, Kiara has organised two more health camps in clinics around Dubai and is hoping to run a fourth this week. She works with local labour camps, NGOs and community leaders to identify people and areas with the greatest needs. Then, to measure the success of each camp, the team tracks the number of attendees, referrals for further treatment and feedback from labourers about their improved awareness and health outcomes.

Life-changing results

“Participants have expressed gratitude for the educational materials provided and reported feeling more informed about managing their health,” she said.

There are several other volunteer and government-led initiatives in the UAE targeting the labouring community. For example, in September, a winter flu vaccination campaign run by the Ministry of Health in Dubai offered low-income workers the vaccine free of charge. During one of Heal's camps, the doctors were able to identify high cholesterol in one worker who was unaware of his condition. They did so using a cholesterol-testing machine donated by Heal.

“We were able to measure his cholesterol levels and refer him for immediate follow-up care,” said Kiara, who runs the registration desk on the day but is also able to sit in on the consultations. “This intervention not only prevented potential complications like heart disease but also empowered him with the knowledge to adopt healthier habits.”

Another worker was diagnosed with pre-diabetes and given guidance on lifestyle changes, such as dietary adjustments and regular exercise, and referred to a local clinic for continued monitoring, allowing him to manage his condition before it progresses to diabetes. Education and awareness-raising is a key part of Heal's mission and Kiara plans to conduct workshops in the future focused on preventive care, hygiene and nutrition.

They also provide information pamphlets and resources in various languages commonly spoken among the labouring community. The ultimate aim is to expand across the UAE and increase the frequency of mobile camps, Kiara told The National. She also wants to expand the offering to cover mental health support.

Vulnerable workers are given free health check-ups and advised on necessary follow-up care. Photo: Heal
Vulnerable workers are given free health check-ups and advised on necessary follow-up care. Photo: Heal

“We're looking for more tie-ups with healthcare organisations that might be interested in holding camps with us or anyone donating any kind of machines so we can increase the variety of things we test the labourers for.”

While she's supported by many proud friends and family members, Kiara is also looking for more volunteers. This can include people to help on the day, to spread awareness or donate funds and resources. She's also hoping to recruit more medical professionals and students who can offer their expertise during the health camps. “If we are able to get more volunteers and more equipment, we can increase the scale, because there are so many more labourers to help,” she added.

When she goes to university in 2026 to move closer to her dream of becoming a doctor, Kiara hopes her family and friends will be able to continue her important work during term time. Then she will come back to run the clinics during the holidays. “Heal is more than just a healthcare initiative; it’s a platform for compassion and empowerment. We believe that by investing in the health of labourers, we are contributing to building a healthier, more equitable society.”

Another way to earn air miles

In addition to the Emirates and Etihad programmes, there is the Air Miles Middle East card, which offers members the ability to choose any airline, has no black-out dates and no restrictions on seat availability. Air Miles is linked up to HSBC credit cards and can also be earned through retail partners such as Spinneys, Sharaf DG and The Toy Store.

An Emirates Dubai-London round-trip ticket costs 180,000 miles on the Air Miles website. But customers earn these ‘miles’ at a much faster rate than airline miles. Adidas offers two air miles per Dh1 spent. Air Miles has partnerships with websites as well, so booking.com and agoda.com offer three miles per Dh1 spent.

“If you use your HSBC credit card when shopping at our partners, you are able to earn Air Miles twice which will mean you can get that flight reward faster and for less spend,” says Paul Lacey, the managing director for Europe, Middle East and India for Aimia, which owns and operates Air Miles Middle East.

Milestones on the road to union

1970

October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar. 

December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.

1971

March 1:  Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.

July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.

July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.

August 6:  The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.

August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.

September 3: Qatar becomes independent.

November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.

November 29:  At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.

November 30: Despite  a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa. 

November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties

December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.

December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.

December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.

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A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.

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Updated: February 25, 2025, 9:53 AM