Web Desk
DUBAI: In a new step to strengthen community health and expand volunteer healthcare services within residential neighborhoods, and through an initiative by Emirati Doctors, the Emirates National Medical Preparedness and Response Program (Jaheziya) has launched a new phase of virtual clinics and community-based medical volunteer initiatives across various emirates of the UAE. The initiative is held under the slogan “Together We Respond for the Health of Our Community… and the Readiness of Our Nation.”
This initiative supports national efforts to enhance community health, bring healthcare services closer to the public, and train thousands of community members in first aid and injury response, as part of an innovative volunteer program aimed at serving society and giving back to the nation.
The initiative aims to empower Emirati physicians to provide remote medical consultations and health awareness guidance through virtual clinics, while also participating in field-based volunteer health programs within residential communities. These activities contribute to strengthening public health awareness and providing initial medical support to citizens and residents of all nationalities.
In addition, the initiative includes training various community groups to respond to medical emergencies, forming an innovative model to strengthen the first line of defense through national reserve and volunteer medical teams specialized in community response.
The initiative is implemented in collaboration with a coalition of governmental, private, and non-profit institutions, most notably:
Mobile Community Health Clinics
National Training Initiative “Tadreeb”
UAE Community Emergency Response Team (UAE CERT)
Emirates Medical Reserve Team
Emirates Resuscitation Association
Emirates Giving Association (Ata’a)
Emirates Community and Specialized Volunteering Program (Tatowwa)
The new initiative operates across all emirates through mobile clinics and mobile training units, supervised by the National Community Emergency Medical Teams. Physicians and volunteers participate through a structured training and operational framework that ensures service quality and rapid response to emergency situations.
Training programs focus on first aid, bleeding control, and injury management at the scene of incidents until ambulance teams arrive.
The virtual clinics also provide medical awareness consultations for community members, guide patients to specialized healthcare facilities when needed, and support preventive health programs, including early screening for cardiovascular, chronic, and mental health conditions.
Additionally, community members receive training on how to properly respond to emergencies according to a unified internationally accredited methodology, endorsed by the European Center for Disaster Medicine, the National Disaster Medicine Center, the Emirates Resuscitation Council, and the Emirates Burn Council.
Dr. Adel Al Shamry Al Ajmi, CEO of the Zayed Giving Initiative, President of Emirati Doctors Initiative, and President of the Emirates National Medical Preparedness and Response Program, emphasized that this initiative reflects a national vision aimed at strengthening integration between the healthcare and community sectors while promoting the culture of specialized medical volunteering and social responsibility among Emirati physicians.
He added that the initiative forms part of the integrated national system for preparedness and response, designed to attract, train, and qualify medical professionals according to international best practices and empower them to participate in specialized volunteering. This contributes to building a healthier and more resilient society, while enhancing the community’s ability to benefit from national medical expertise under all circumstances.
The program also reflects appreciation for the wise leadership of the UAE, which has provided all the necessary resources to enable Emirati physicians to reach global levels of excellence and created a supportive environment for medical volunteering an innovative and unprecedented model that can serve as a benchmark locally and internationally.
It is worth noting that since its launch in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Emirates National Medical Preparedness and Response System has contributed to building the capacity and readiness of more than 20,000 first responders from various governmental, private, and non-profit institutions.
The program has strengthened hospital preparedness in line with best international practices and enhanced rapid and optimal response to emergencies at the pre-hospital level, involving medical teams, ambulance services, civil defense, special task forces, and police.
This has been achieved through a unified training methodology accredited by more than ten international training centers, within an integrated national training framework for preparedness and response that has become a model recognized locally and internationally.
