UAE National Day: Emirati doctor stayed away from newborn to serve the country

NOTE: This report is part of a special National Day series called #HeroesUnmasked. The series pays tribute to the UAE's frontliners: The people who faced the coronavirus head on — no second thoughts, no questions asked — all for the love of the country. Part 3 of a 7-part series.

Dr Lolwa Ahmed Al Ali was busy taking care of her newborn son when Covid-19 struck. Heeding the call of duty, the Emirati doctor decided to stay away from her baby and the rest of her family to be on the front lines of the pandemic battle.

“It was a very difficult decision, yet it’s a sacrifice that I had to make. As a frontline worker, my top priority is the safety of my community. It was also in response to the call from our great leaders who worked hard to ensure that everyone was safe,” said Al Ali, the clinic manager at Al Falah and Al Samha Healthcare centres in Abu Dhabi. She has been working as the site manager at the Seha drive-through screening centre, Al Masoudi, throughout the pandemic. She is also responsible for managing the Covid-19 vaccine trials at the site.

Many other healthcare professionals were making far greater sacrifices, Al Ali said. “They have small children, so they have chosen to stay in hotels with other healthcare workers. As frontline heroes, we are ready to do our best to save and protect our community.”

As a medical staff, her biggest challenge throughout the pandemic has been to keep both her team and the community safe. “We have endeavoured to ensure that best quality indicators and infection control measures are implemented,” she said.

Fighting Covid-19 meant long hours of work, anxiety and stress, wearing the PPE for extended periods, and many other challenges, Al Ali said. “However, we were able to manage all these, with the support of our leaders and supervisors.”

Motivated by UAE leaders

Amid Covid-19, Al Ali is a proud Emirati doctor and it’s all because “the UAE’s leaders have given us huge motivation throughout the pandemic”.

“His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, was constantly monitoring the situation and conducting regular meetings with different entities to know what has been achieved and how the nation will end the pandemic and move forward,” said Al Ali.

“What motivated me the most were his words to the nation. He said: ‘Medicine and food is a red line for us and don’t worry’. As frontliners, that assurance gave us a huge boost to work hard to keep the UAE community safe and secure.”

ismail@khaleejtimes.com

Ismail Sebugwaawo

A professional journalist originating from Kampala, Uganda, Ismail is a happy father with strong attachment to family and great values for humanity. He has practiced journalism in UAE for the past 13 years, covering the country's parliament (FNC) and crimes, including Abu Dhabi Police, public prosecution and courts. He also reports about important issues in education, public health and the environment, with a keen interest in human interest stories. When out of reporting duties, he serves the Ugandan community in Abu Dhabi as he wants to see his countrymen happy. Exercising and reading are part of his free time.