+ A
A -
Tribune News Network
Doha
OOREDOO on Wednesday donated three sea ambulances to Ministry of Health in the Maldives at a special ceremony held at Izzuddheen Jetty Area.
The donation followed Ooredoo's earlier commitment to support the Government of the Maldives to provide quality health care to its citizens.
The donation aims to support the nation's existing sea ambulance fleet, which operates from across the country and plays a vital role in delivering health care to people living throughout the highly dispersed islands.
The event was attended by Chairman of Ooredoo Group Sheikh Abdulla bin Mohammed al Thani, Minister of Health Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, Minister of Economic Development Mohamed Saeed, Minister of State for Defence and National Security Mohamed Zuhair, Vice-Chief of Defence Force Brigadier-General Ahmed Shahid, Deputy CEO of Ooredoo Group Waleed Mohamed al Sayed, Chairman of Ooredoo Maldives and Ooredoo Group Chief Officer Small and Medium Business Unit Khalid al Mahmoud, and a number of key stakeholders from the government of Maldives, Ooredoo Group and Ooredoo Maldives.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister of health said,"Maldives being a small island nation with a unique geographical topography is home to a highly dispersed population, resulting in significant challenges in the provision of healthcare services to the facilities on all islands. Ooredoo has been exceptional in its support for the people in the Maldives and we appreciate its initiative in recognising the significance of the issue and adding state-of-the-art vessels to our Sea Ambulance Fleet."
Sheikh Abdulla said,"We are delighted to add three sea ambulances to the nation's emergency response fleet over water. Today, we have handed over two of these sea ambulances, with the third to follow before the end of the year. Improving access to basic health care for communities is something we are passionate about and it is our sincere hope that our donation can help bring ease to communities who require urgent health care and medical attention outside of their home islands."
A global initiative undertaken by the company, Ooredoo Mobile Health Clinics travel to rural and remote communities to provide free medical treatment, share nutritional advice and distribute vitamins. Along with its partners, Ooredoo aims to expand the programme to smaller islands in the Maldives.
Chief Executive Officer of Ooredoo Maldives Najib Khan said,"Ooredoo Maldives made a strong commitment to support the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, whereby the achievement of Goal 3: Good health and well-being is one of our key focus areas. Our investment in the sea ambulances, as well as the Mobile Health Clinics programme is a key part of this commitment, and we hope that both initiatives can make a positive impact in the life of our customers and the people of Maldives."
The donated sea ambulances are 40-foot long with two patient beds, and can hold up to 12 passengers at a time. The vessels are also installed with a state-of-the-art navigation and communication systems. They are fully equipped with two oxygen cylinders along with other items of essential safety equipment.
