DUBAI // Geriatric specialists have voiced their support for Princess Haya's concern that care for the elderly in the UAE is in need of urgent attention.
That residents are living longer is an achievement but it also poses challenges, according to Dr Salwa Al Suwaidi, a geriatrics specialist at the Dubai Health Authority.
“Training is needed in UAE for physicians and caregivers. If caregivers are trained properly, they can take care of minor problems at home and this will help reduce costs,” she said on Thursday at an Arab Health summit conference.
“The Government of Dubai is planning to do much in the area of geriatric care.”
Dr Al Suwaidi said the lack of equitable nationwide health care was a problem, noting a lack of a dedicated healthcare facility in Abu Dhabi.
In contrast, Rashid Hospital in Dubai offered a system of semi-complete care for the elderly, she said.
At the Arab Health summit, Princess Hayaof Jordan, the wife of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, said the UAE’s ageing population was a serious issue in need of attention.
Aishe Jebreel, the chief operations officer for Broadmeadow International, an Irish company that runs a healthcare facility in Dubai, believes that more geriatric facilities will be built in the coming years. “People need to be made aware of career development in geriatric care,” she said.
Developing healthcare strategies, creating an integrated model, and training doctors were among the pertinent issues in need of attention, Ms Jebreel said.
Dr Jean-Pierre Michel, chairman of the European Union Geriatric Medicine Society, agrees that training more specialists should be a priority.
“The problem is today, but it will be more important as time passes. We have to work today to ensure that this issue is tackled,” he said.
arizvi2@thenational.ae
