Khaleej Times

Have patience, world on the verge of a breakthrou­gh: CP

- Ahmed Shaaban

abu dhabi — His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, has urged people to have patience as the world is “on the verge of a breakthrou­gh”.

The Abu Dhabi Crown Prince said he was sorry that people do not have access to places of worship, or could not meet relatives and friends during the holy month of Ramadan. However, he reassured them: “Despite the lockdown and quarantine­s, we will get through this.”

Sheikh Mohamed was addressing the participan­ts of the third episode of his virtual majlis on Wednesday.

He also thanked healthcare workers and leaders who are keeping the UAE safe.

ABU DHABI — His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, urged people to have patience as the world is facing the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sheikh Mohamed was addressing the participan­ts of the third episode of his virtual majlis on Wednesday.

“We are on the verge of a breakthrou­gh. It’s true that until that happens, things will be challengin­g,” he said.

“Despite the lockdown and quarantine­s, we will get through this.”

Sheikh Mohamed said he was sorry that people cannot have access to places of worship, or meet relatives and friends. “Please, let’s have patience. Everybody is willingly locked down because the globe is facing one enemy.”

Sheikh Mohamed thanked all the frontliner­s and the leaders who are making the UAE safe. He also thanked a Filipina nurse for her dedication. “Please, send my regards to your family back home, and tell them you are in your second home, the UAE.”

In his speech during the episode themed “Standing together: Our healthcare response to covid-19”, Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed Al Owais. Minister of Health and Prevention, said the UAE, unlike many countries, has been well prepared for the global pandemic.

“We have managed to get through the first phase and then moved to researches, detection, tracking down and follow-up with teams across the country to protect the UAE from this virus.”

Being well prepared and taking quick decision have been an advantage for the UAE during the crisis, he added.

“While the healthcare systems have collapsed in big countries, the UAE is helping others The UAE has even ranked on top in the region and ninth globally in terms of response to Covid-19.

Dr Tom Loney, associate professor, Public Health and Epidemiolo­gy, talked about the “unsung” heroes who work behind the scenes side by side with the frontline teams. “These medical workforces sit at their computers until late hours to collect, analyse and interpret all possible data related to the pandemic. This data helps the UAE leadership and government take instant decisions and preventive measures to curb this virus and protect the society,” he added.

The decisions included the closure of airspace against the countries most affected by the virus, he explained.

“Turning to distance learning and remote work, increasing the number of daily tests, protecting most vulnerable people including the elderly and people of determinat­ion, along with the national disinfecti­on programme were the decisions taken based on this data.”

Prof Alawi Alsheikh-Alim, clinician, researcher and consultant cardiac electrophy­siologist, said though the crisis is mainly medical, it has social, economic, security and political impacts. “All universiti­es and industrial institutio­ns nationwide have joint efforts to combat the virus and provide the facemasks needed using 3D printing technology.

 ??  ?? GREETING THE FRONTLINE WARRIORS: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed with his granddaugh­ter during a Ramadan Majlis.
GREETING THE FRONTLINE WARRIORS: Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed with his granddaugh­ter during a Ramadan Majlis.

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