Medical students, from left to right, Priya Rani, Krishnaveni Selvaraj and Salwa Ali volunteered at hospitals in Ajman and Umm Al Quwain to help doctors fight Covid-19. Pawan Singh / The National
Medical students, from left to right, Priya Rani, Krishnaveni Selvaraj and Salwa Ali volunteered at hospitals in Ajman and Umm Al Quwain to help doctors fight Covid-19. Pawan Singh / The National
Medical students, from left to right, Priya Rani, Krishnaveni Selvaraj and Salwa Ali volunteered at hospitals in Ajman and Umm Al Quwain to help doctors fight Covid-19. Pawan Singh / The National
Medical students, from left to right, Priya Rani, Krishnaveni Selvaraj and Salwa Ali volunteered at hospitals in Ajman and Umm Al Quwain to help doctors fight Covid-19. Pawan Singh / The National

Meet the medical students on the front lines of UAE's Covid-19 battle


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Dozens of medical students have stepped up to help in the UAE's fight against Covid-19.

While most were eager to put their years of study to good use, concerns about potentially contracting the virus made some of their families nervous.

Priya Rani’s mother did not want her to volunteer.

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck, medical students were called to help at local hospitals.

Ms Rani was one. The medical student at Gulf Medical University had been restless at home after her studies were suspended.

The university arranged 25 volunteering placements with private and government hospitals in Ajman and Umm Al Quwain after the UAE government called on those with a background in healthcare to help.

This is the time we need to work. This is the time we need to fight Covid-19 to protect our patients

Ms Rani leapt at the possibility but it took days to convinced her mother.

“We literally had to beg our parents to do it,” said Ms Rani, who volunteered at Thumbay Hospital for six weeks prior to her final exams. “My mum stopped talking to me because she did not want me to go out, but I felt like it was something I really wanted to do.”

As a fourth year student, Ms Rani had spent months shadowing doctors but it was the first time she really grasped the role of all hospital staff.

She worked 12 hour shifts assisting nursing staff, who were under pressure serving Covid-19 patients.

“Being in their lives for just two months, I learnt to respect them so much,” said Ms Rani, who is from Bangladesh but grew up in the UAE.

“The doctors come and they diagnose you with your disease but it’s the nurses who are in the background doing all the work, it’s the nurses who are keeping watch on patients for 24 hours a day.”

Priya Rani with her mother, Ranjita Rani, who was initially nervous about her daughter volunteering at a hospital. Pawan Singh / The National
Priya Rani with her mother, Ranjita Rani, who was initially nervous about her daughter volunteering at a hospital. Pawan Singh / The National

Ms Rani worked in the wards without Covid-19 patients. Her daily tasks included everything from giving vaccinations to changing bedding to helping mothers with nursing.

Nurses guided her each step of the way.

“They taught me everything,” said Ms Rani.

“They literally taught me with their own hands and then they laughed, and they joked, they shared their food and I would never have known these things if I hadn’t volunteered.

“Usually we don’t see nurses in that way. I’ve seen so many patients come and yell at nurses. But they work for 12 hours a day and do an amazing job.”

Salwa Ali, a fourth year biomedicine student, volunteered in a lab at Thumbay Hospital processing Covid-19 tests.

“I was a bit scared going in, I won’t lie to you, but I was happy to be doing this,” said Ms Ali, a 21-year-old Emirati.

“It just made me more committed to my goals.”

Over the course of five weeks, she saw technology improve as researchers around the world rushed to automate test processing - cutting the time it takes to get a result from four hours to 80 minutes.

She expects the pandemic will inspire more young people to pursue careers in healthcare and medical research.

“Research is something very important in the current day,” said Ms Ali. “There are new viruses, we need new treatment, new procedures for everything and it will play such an important role in the community.”

Krishnaveni Selvaraj, 21, has volunteered as a nurse at a government hospital in Umm Al Quwain for the past three months.

She goes three days a week to care for geriatric patients.

Her parents were initially hesitant about her work in a hospital that treats Covid-19 patients but for her, volunteering was a certainty.

“Of course, we are nurses so we should not get nervous. If we get down or upset due to the Covid-19 pandemic, who will take of our patients? That’s the main thing.”

“My family were tense, worried. It was in their head that it’s really disturbing situation, they said, ‘how will you volunteer?’

“I said, ‘I’m a nurse, I’m going to graduate’. In nursing, it’s not like if something happens we should step back. Without nurses, nothing can be done. That’s how it is. We should be there for the patients, no matter what the situation is.”

Her interest in science led her to become a nurse, and she has not looked back.

“I need to gain a lot of experience. This is just the beginning.”

“Our world is still suffering with Covid-19 and people need nurses and doctors to be there for the patients. This is the time we need to work. This is the time we need to fight Covid-19 to protect our patients.”

SHOW COURTS ORDER OF PLAY

Centre Court (4pm UAE/12pm GMT)
Victoria Azarenka (BLR) v Heather Watson (GBR)
Rafael Nadal (ESP x4) v Karen Khachanov (RUS x30)
Andy Murray (GBR x1) v Fabio Fognini (ITA x28)

Court 1 (4pm UAE)
Steve Johnson (USA x26) v Marin Cilic (CRO x7)
Johanna Konta (GBR x6) v Maria Sakkari (GRE)
Naomi Osaka (JPN) v Venus Williams (USA x10)

Court 2 (2.30pm UAE)
Aljaz Bedene (GBR) v Gilles Muller (LUX x16)
Peng Shuai (CHN) v Simona Halep (ROM x2)
Jelena Ostapenko (LAT x13) v Camila Giorgi (ITA)
Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (FRA x12) v Sam Querrey (USA x24)

Court 3 (2.30pm UAE)
Kei Nishikori (JPN x9) v Roberto Bautista Agut (ESP x18)
Carina Witthoeft (GER) v Elina Svitolina (UKR x4)

Court 12 (2.30pm UAE)
Dominika Cibulkova (SVK x8) v Ana Konjuh (CRO x27)
Kevin Anderson (RSA) v Ruben Bemelmans (BEL)

Court 18 (2.30pm UAE)
Caroline Garcia (FRA x21) v Madison Brengle (USA)
Benoit Paire (FRA) v Jerzy Janowicz (POL)

TEST SQUADS

Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mominul Haque, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed.

Australia: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson and Jackson Bird.

All the Money in the World

Director: Ridley Scott

Starring: Charlie Plummer, Mark Wahlberg, Michelle Williams, Christopher Plummer

Four stars

ABU DHABI CARD

5pm: UAE Martyrs Cup (TB) Conditions; Dh90,000; 2,200m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap; Dh70,000; 1,400m​​​​​​​
6pm: UAE Matyrs Trophy (PA) Maiden; Dh80,000; 1,600m​​​​​​​
6.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Apprentice Championship (PA) Prestige; Dh100,000; 1,600m​​​​​​​
7pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Ladies World Championship (PA) Prestige; Dh125,000; 1,600m​​​​​​​
8pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (PA) Group 1; Dh5,000,000; 1,600m

TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:

- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools

- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say

- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance

- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs

- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills

- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month

- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues

ATP WORLD No 1

2004 Roger Federer

2005 Roger Federer

2006 Roger Federer

2007 Roger Federer

2008 Rafael Nadal

2009 Roger Federer

2010 Rafael Nadal

2011 Novak Djokovic

2012 Novak Djokovic

2013 Rafael Nadal

2014 Novak Djokovic

2015 Novak Djokovic

2016 Andy Murray

2017 Rafael Nadal

2018 Novak Djokovic

2019 Rafael Nadal

Fanney Khan

Producer: T-Series, Anil Kapoor Productions, ROMP, Prerna Arora

Director: Atul Manjrekar

Cast: Anil Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Rajkummar Rao, Pihu Sand

Rating: 2/5 

TRAP

Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue

Director: M Night Shyamalan

Rating: 3/5

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%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWest%20Asia%20Premiership%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Bahrain%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Premiership%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Jebel%20Ali%20Dragons%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Division%201%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Sharks%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%20Harlequins%20II%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EUAE%20Division%202%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%20III%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Sharks%20II%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDubai%20Sevens%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3EChampions%3A%20Dubai%20Tigers%0D%3Cbr%3ERunners%20up%3A%20Dubai%20Hurricanes%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
RACE SCHEDULE

All times UAE ( 4 GMT)

Friday, September 29
First practice: 7am - 8.30am
Second practice: 11am - 12.30pm

Saturday, September 30
Qualifying: 1pm - 2pm

Sunday, October 1
Race: 11am - 1pm

Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHakbah%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2018%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENaif%20AbuSaida%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESaudi%20Arabia%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinTech%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E22%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E%24200%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Epre-Series%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EGlobal%20Ventures%20and%20Aditum%20Investment%20Management%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

IF YOU GO
 
The flights: FlyDubai offers direct flights to Catania Airport from Dubai International Terminal 2 daily with return fares starting from Dh1,895.
 
The details: Access to the 2,900-metre elevation point at Mount Etna by cable car and 4x4 transport vehicle cost around €57.50 (Dh248) per adult. Entry into Teatro Greco costs €10 (Dh43). For more go to www.visitsicily.info

 Where to stay: Hilton Giardini Naxos offers beachfront access and accessible to Taormina and Mount Etna. Rooms start from around €130 (Dh561) per night, including taxes.

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Best Foreign Language Film nominees

Capernaum (Lebanon)

Cold War (Poland)

Never Look Away (Germany)

Roma (Mexico)

Shoplifters (Japan)

Walls

Louis Tomlinson

3 out of 5 stars

(Syco Music/Arista Records)

MATCH INFO

Asian Champions League, last 16, first leg:

Al Jazira 3 Persepolis 2

Second leg:

Monday, Azizi Stadium, Tehran. Kick off 7pm