Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed thanks 'heroes of the pandemic' on World Health Day

Frontline workers played leading role in the Emirates' robust response to the pandemic

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. Photo: Crown Prince Court - Abu Dhabi

Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, marked World Health Day by thanking the frontline health workers who helped to keep people safe during the coronavirus pandemic.

“On World Health Day, we express our appreciation to all of the heroes who helped combat the pandemic,” said Sheikh Mohamed on Twitter.

“We also reaffirm the importance of international cooperation and continued investment in all aspects of health for a more sustainable future for humanity.”

The UAE has been widely praised for its handling of the Covid-19 pandemic thanks to an organised and thorough vaccination drive and stringent precautionary measures.

Frontline workers were essential to the Emirates' robust response to the pandemic. A number of healthcare workers contracted the virus while carrying out their duties and some died as a result.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organisation, said in December that the UAE was one of the best countries in the world at dealing with the pandemic, owing to the speed and flexibility of the measures it had taken.

In July 2020, President Sheikh Khalifa launched the Frontline Heroes Office to recognise the efforts of people protecting the public in times of crisis.

The Frontline Heroes Office aims to raise awareness of the role played by frontline workers during crises and emergencies, while also looking after their needs, addressing their priorities and drawing up strategies to support them.

In October, Sheikh Mohamed directed authorities to issue golden visas to frontline workers and their families.

Medical staff and other essential personnel who worked on the front lines of the pandemic have also received help with schooling costs and other benefits and free flights home to visit their families.

World Health Day is held each year on April 7, marking the anniversary of the founding of the WHO in 1948. It draws attention to a specific health topic of concern to people all over the world.

This year, the WHO will focus global attention on “urgent actions needed to keep humans and the planet healthy and foster a movement to create societies focused on well-being".

10 frontline workers who battled the pandemic — in pictures

Name: Mohammed Kaloub. Age: 30. Nationality: Palestinian. Work: PCR technician at Tamouh tent in Mussaffah for five months. Past work: Hotel manager. Question: What has been the biggest challenge you've faced while being a PCR frontline worker? Answer: "The biggest challenge so far is the day-by-day interaction with thousands of people who are both negative and positive. I and my colleagues are always in danger of being infected." Photos: Victor Besa / The National

Name: Batool Hayek Age: 40 Nationality: Syrian. Work: PCR Technician at SEHA Covid-19 Drive-Through at Al Manhal in Abu Dhabi for 18 months Past work: Nurse at Mafraq Hospital. Question: What has been the biggest challenge you've faced while being a PCR frontline worker? Answer: "A big challenge was working as a nurse with positive corona patients from inside you feel scared and at the same time you have to help those patients."

Name: Loui Royo Age: 33 Nationality: Filipino. Work: Manager of PCR operations at Biogenix Labs for one year. Past Work: MOPH-Manticao OT/ER/DR Nurse. Question: What has been the biggest challenge you've faced while being a PCR frontline worker? Answer: "The biggest challenge I face as a frontliner was to stand up to the expectation of keeping everyone safe, with regular testing. We are grateful to have received well-structured training in order to deliver quality care to our clients with the proper techniques and knowledge to lower the discomfort levels during testing procedures."

Name: Yusra Al Antari Age: 38 Nationality: Emirati. Work: PCR technician at Seha Covid-19 drive-through centre, Al Manhal, Abu Dhabi, for 13 months. Past work: Charge nurse at School Health. Question: What has been the biggest challenge you've faced while being a PCR frontline worker? Answer: "Nurses will remain key players in stopping the pandemic with adequate assistance, as they have a direct exposure with the patients which put them at high risk of infection, therefore as a charge nurse I have to make sure that we have appropriate infection control procedures and sufficient personal protective equipment all the time. Thus, they must be provided with a healthy work environment (such as free to comment to reports of abuse or infection control risks) to empower their efforts to control and manage the outbreak." All photos by Victor Besa / The National

Name: Bagob Fonyuy Age: 26 Nationality: Cameroonian. Work: PCR technician at Biogenix Labs for eight months. Past work: Labour and delivery nurse. Question: What has been the biggest challenge you've faced while being a PCR frontline worker? Answer: "Being a part of the PCR frontliner team is a challenging yet rewarding experience. One of the many challenges I face is having to protect myself from the highly infectious Covid-19 virus. Nevertheless, I am doing everything possible to help screen large crowds by carrying out swab tests for quick identification and isolation. I am always mindful of the fact that the well-being of the community depends on my levels of efficiency, so I try and work as hard as possible. The satisfaction of helping the UAE outweighs everything else."

Name: Ravikant Rajpoot Age: 31 Nationality: Indian. Work: PCR technician at Biogenix Labs for four months. Past work: Staff nurse in India. Question: What has been the biggest challenge you've faced while being a PCR frontline worker? Answer: "I understand the stress everyone is experiencing as a result of the pandemic, so I try to be as polite and kind as possible. I worry about my health but the support I receive from the Biogenix Labs and G42 Healthcare team motivates me to face any challenge with a positive attitude."

Name: Sanaa Shebl Shoker Age: 45 Nationality: Egyptian. Work: PCR technician at Seha Covid-19 drive-through centre, in Al Manhal, Abu Dhabi for nine months. Past Work: Charge nurse at Al Mushrif Children's Specialty Centre. Question: What has been the biggest challenge you've faced while being a PCR frontline worker? Answer: "As frontline worker, I had been dealing with the pandemic head-on for almost a year. That’s a year of face masks. A year of dealing with angry customers. A year of health uncertainty. We all know that people have every right to be tired."

Name: Safaa Bissar Age: 44 Nationality: Lebanese. Work: Senior lab technician at Biogenix Labs for 13 months. Past work: Lab technician in Lebanon. Question: What has been the biggest challenge you've faced while being a PCR frontline worker? Answer: "Being on the front line of this battle as a laboratory technologist takes a lot of courage to endure our current challenges. The hardest part has been to fight the virus efficiently so that we are able to return to our normal lives. There is always the anxiety of falling ill and bringing the virus home to your loved ones. But we have to keep on fighting to win this battle. We are in this together."

Name: Rabiatu Mannan Age: 27 Nationality: Ghanaian Work: PCR technician at Tamouh tent in Mussaffah for six months. Past work: Organic Goods Company. Question: What has been the biggest challenge you've faced while being a PCR frontline worker? Answer: "One of the challenges so far is the stress, due to the number of people being swabbed daily. Just when you think the day will slow down, another busload of workers come in the tent to get tested."

Name: Carlien Grabe Age: 45 Nationality: British. Work: Head of PCR operations at Biogenix Labs for eight months. Past work: Nurse manager, ICU and OPD, Al Rahba Hospital; clinical lead, Mafraq Covid Hospital; senior charge nurse, London. Question: What has been the biggest challenge you've faced while being a PCR frontline worker? Answer: "As nurses, we always have the fear of taking the virus back home to our kids, immunocompromised parents and elderly family members. Although wearing the personal protective equipment kit is beneficial, wearing it for long hours can be uncomfortable as it gets too hot, even with regular breaks. In hindsight, these challenges are dwarfed in comparison to safeguarding public health in our fight against the pandemic."