Saqr Hospital in Ras Al Khaimah – an Emirates Health Services (EHS) facility – has launched the first phase of the early breast cancer screening campaign this month under the slogan "Initiate Action, Receive Hope." The campaign aims to conduct free screening for women over 40 in collaboration with the Friends of Cancer Patients (FOCP) organization, which provides mobile clinics equipped with mammograms and ultrasound machines.
Saqr Hospital aims to provide its services in various locations in Ras Al Khaimah. The campaign will run until the end of the current year and operational hours are from 10 AM to 4 PM. Through this campaign, Saqr Hospital aims to achieve sustainability, proactiveness, and continuity by inviting women from the target age group to run a test to identify key indicators and symptoms that require clinical examinations. The campaign includes clinical examinations, mammograms, and ultrasound examinations, if needed, as well as medical consultations.
H.E. Dr. Essam Al Zarooni, Acting Executive Director of Medical Services at EHS, stressed that the campaign is in line with EHS' direction and mission. H.E. Dr. Essam went on to state that the campaign is inspired by the UAE leadership's vision to enhance the quality of healthcare, achieving the national indicators of "We the UAE 2031" vision and providing all members of the UAE community with preventive and advanced healthcare services.
H.E. Dr. Al Zarooni also highlighted that the campaign was part of EHS' all-inclusive approach to upgrading the services provided by the various facilities under its umbrella. This initiative reflects EHS' commitment to women's health and raising awareness of the importance of early detection of this serious disease, as breast cancer is the most common cancer among women. H.E. Dr. Al Zarooni also noted that the progress in medicine, diagnosis, and treatment manifested by EHS' ability to achieve a high success rate in breast cancer treatment, when detected early, reflects the importance of periodic and regular screening.
Dr. Muna Al Ayyan, Consultant Breast Surgeon, Director of Saqr Hospital, said: "The campaign aims to raise awareness about early testing within UAE communities and highlight its importance in preventing breast cancer, the most common cancer amongst women globally. It also strives to acquaint women with self-examination methods and approaches while emphasizing their critical role in prevention. This demonstrates Emirates Health Services' commitment to meeting its ethical and professional responsibilities to various parts of UAE society, with a special emphasis on women, who are more vulnerable to breast cancer".
Dr. Muna Al Ayyan added: "The campaign reflects the hospital's knowledge and awareness mission, led by EHS. It also highlights the importance of promoting health awareness where a single piece of information or an early inspection may save people from various diseases, protect society's health, and keep its members functional and productive. Both the hospital and EHS embody this message, as health awareness protects nations' resources from depletion by channeling them toward advancement, construction, and development. We hope every individual, organization, and family will embrace our message".
The field campaigns were distributed around the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah in partnership with EHS’ health facilities and selected governmental, local, and private businesses. These collaborations established a central location for hosting the mobile clinic, allowing it to serve nearby communities. It began at Shaa'm Hospital, followed by Almeirad Health Center and Gulf Pharmaceutical Industries (Julphar). For the second time, the initiative provided services to the inmates of the Ras Al Khaimah Correctional facilities. The facility's management commended EHS’ commitment and ongoing endeavors to engage with all sectors of society.
This campaign is an extension of a series of health initiatives run by Emirates Health Services to achieve long-term health goals by improving early disease prevention tools and concepts and establishing them as a mainstream culture among all UAE residents.