ABU DHABI // Salem Al Ameri considers providing better opportunities for medical graduates and suggesting upgrades for the health sector as some of his greatest accomplishments in the FNC.
The retired brigadier general was no stranger to the issues faced by the healthcare sector before joining the council as chairman of the Health, Labour and Social affairs committee.
“I entered a committee that I am familiar with. During my free time at the armed forces I always used to participate [in health issues],” he said.
“This committee follows up with the health, labour and social affairs ministries, so it requires high concentration and all of the mentioned ministries are a big concern to the society.”
During this term, he visited hospitals and social affairs sites where they provide assistance to those in need, courses for the elderly, and veterinary courses for the unemployed.
“The focus is not just on financial aid, but also education – social and moral.”
He is particularly proud of a project to assist medical graduates from universities in the UAE and abroad to get support from the health ministry and authorities to start their careers.
“This was mostly welcomed by the ministry and they gave them privileges they did not take before.”
Another initiative Mr Al Ameri is proud of is the visits the committee conducted to hospitals in the UAE to receive feedback and suggestions from their staff. “And the suggestions were raised and recommendations that would develop the health sector and they were approved, except for one recommendation.”
That recommendation was to find a mechanism to ensure availability of medicines that fight chronic diseases.
Other proposals included increasing the budget of the health ministry, focusing on sponsoring scholarships for medical students and assisting them to choose fields that suffer a shortage in the UAE.
Since he joined the council, Mr Al Ameri has been keen on attendance. This is so that “I can mix with the people and raise their issues of concern to the committee”.
He believes he was elected because he has always been close to the people in his area. “As I was always promising them I will transfer their opinions to the decision makers – so they elected me,” he said.
Three years after his retirement from the army he decided to take his skills and experience to parliament.
“The experience I got from the armed forces helped me in establishing an ability to accomplish matters and deliver the opinion I desire.”
He could not think of a big challenge he faced since becoming an FNC member and said he was never disappointed with the work. “Matters have been moderate and a member has the ability to accomplish something in upgrading the UAE society,” he said.
“Ministers attend the sessions and we have the freedom to talk to them ... and they accept our opinions.”
Great effort has to be put before issuing a suggestion and it has to be accompanied with official figures and data, he added.
During the past three years he has been a media-friendly member and tries to involve them in all of his meetings.
“Media is important to the society and without [it] things will have no value.”
“We are all keen that the media is present with us in all of its forms, and there is nothing to prevent that, we have nothing to hide.”
The media has a positive role in delivering what is being done to the public so they are not in the dark, he added.
hdajani@thenational.ae
