Residents with a background in medical practice have been urged to register as volunteers to help the UAE government tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.<br/> People with experience working in healthcare centres can upload their details through the <a href="https://volunteers.ae/index.aspx">volunteers.ae</a> portal. So far, more than 1,000 people have signed up to help and are working in hospitals, quarantine zones and hotels across the UAE. Training has been provided by Sanid, an Emirates Foundation programme. Masoud Al Hosani, the programme manager at Sanid, said residents and citizens could apply, whether they were retired or still working. “We are really keen to have specialised volunteers register on the portal so they are ready and on-hand to be sent to critical situation sites,” Mr Al Hosani said. “They may not be contacted initially but if they are registered we can identify how to best use them in areas that need support if the time comes. “We urge those with a medical background to volunteer on the website and general volunteers can also upload their details to assist with additional operations.” Sanid is an official programme that gives those offering their help the skills to support responders in "large-scale emergencies, crises and disasters".<br/> Registered users go through a five-level training programme to ensure they are ready, including basic first aid and disaster preparedness methods. “We have more than 1,000 volunteers working with ministries and authorities in the UAE due to the Covid-19 outbreak,” Mr Al Hosani said. “Most of them are youths, however we want to shift some focus on more experienced professionals, particularly those with a medical background. “It has been humbling to see such a good response from people willing to help.” The programme is open to people aged 18 and over. Mr Al Hosani said that over the past few months, residents have stepped up and been sent to different areas across the country.<br/> In Dubai, volunteers have been assisting staff at two health centres. “They have been carrying out temperature checks and swab analysis, as well as helping with crowd control and sanitisation operations within the centres,” Mr Al Hosani said. “People have also been placed in one of the main government hospitals in the city to help out the public relations team and assist with patient movement.” Some volunteers have also been posted to centres where people are being quarantined in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai. Through donations from the Emirates Foundation and Emirates Red Crescent, they have been providing guests with “food, clothes and games to keep children entertained”. “We have teams assisting with the National Sterilisation Programme in Umm Al Quwain and others are helping to deliver medicines to families and people in Ras Al Khaimah,” Mr Al Hosani said. “In Abu Dhabi, we have volunteers on site helping to observe and assist people in quarantine at Emirates Humanitarian City.” As of Monday, the UAE has registered 2,076 cases of coronavirus including 167 recoveries and 11 deaths. Since the outbreak, which was first discovered in China in late December, the spirit of volunteerism has taken hold across the UAE. People have helped to deliver thousands of meals and medical supplies to the doorsteps of residents who are unable to leave their homes.<br/> They have also helped to support efforts in call centres, quarantine areas and hospitals across the country.
