This month marks the 30th anniversary of a venerable Abu Dhabi institution – the Corniche Hospital – and it’s a milestone well worth celebrating. Since the maternity hospital opened its doors at its present site in 1984, it has been a place of bright new beginnings, and a valuable public facility that has grown along with the city and the country.
As The National reported at the weekend, more than 200,000 babies have been born at the Corniche Hospital. That’s an estimated one quarter of all arrivals in the emirate. Many Emiratis who were born at the hospital have welcomed a new generation there, as have many expatriate couples who came to work in the UAE without children, embraced the opportunities afforded to them by this country and settled down to start their own families.
Like all hospitals, it has seen heartbreak, but it has also been a place of immeasurable joy. It has been at the cutting edge of medical innovation, including the screening of children for congenital heart defects and hearing loss, and a great supporter of breastfeeding and child-safety initiatives.
With so much negativity in the world, it’s appropriate that we pause to celebrate this institution, and its 100 midwives and other dedicated staff, who nurture new life every day.
