FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Al Ain, UAE – January 21, 2013 – Oasis Hospital has reached yet another historic milestone since we began providing healthcare to the Al Ain region in 1960.  On January 14, 2013, we delivered our 100,000^th baby to the delight of very proud parents and hospital staff alike.  The honor of being the 100,000^th baby to be born at Oasis Hospital was bestowed upon Hassan, the firstborn son of Omani parents Ahmed Hassan Al Maqbali and Salma Hassan Al Maamari.  Born at 09:52 AM, the healthy, happy boy was unaware of the reason for all the excitement going on around him.

When Oasis Hospital opened its door in November of 1960, just two babies were born in the two months before the end of that first year.  The next year 67 babies were born, and as the population surged, the numbers continued to increase, reaching into the thousands annually!  The founding doctors of Oasis Hospital, Drs. Pat and Marian Kennedy, could probably not have imagined that Oasis Hospital would ever see 100,000 deliveries.

To put this number into perspective, 100,000 represents more than one fifth of the population of the Al Ain region today, and more than half of the total number of UAE nationals currently living in Al Ain.  It is three times the total number of births in all of the Abu Dhabi emirate in 2011.  Considering that the population of Al Ain was about 2,000 persons when Oasis Hospital first opened in 1960, the growth rate that began then has been staggering.

We are humbled by God’s grace which has allowed us to reach such a milestone.

It is no secret that many of the Abu Dhabi ruling family were among the 100,000 children born at Oasis Hospital. In fact, it was the visionary leadership of the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, founder of the nation, that helped establish the Oasis Hospital in the first place. Responding to the absence of any healthcare in the region in the late 1950’s, Shaikh Zayed and his brother Shakhboot invited the Kennedys to bring quality medicine to their people as soon as possible. Shaikh Zayed was so committed to the success of this venture that he gave his personal guest house to be used as the first Oasis Hospital, and granted additional land at the present site for development of a permanent facility.  Shaikh Zayed could often be seen at the Oasis Hospital in those early years. With his constant encouragement and support, Oasis Hospital continued to grow, meeting the ever changing healthcare needs of the region.  Shaikh Zayed’s vision for Oasis Hospital  has continued through the support of the President His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed and the Crown Prince Shaikh Mohammed bin Zayed, along with the entire Abu Dhabi Ruling Family.  The consistent interest, support, and encouragement of the Al Nahyan family and the wonderful people of this region have allowed us the privilege to bring 100,000 new lives into the world.  We are confident that we will continue, by God’s grace, to serve the people of Al Ain and the Abu Dhabi region with quality healthcare for years to come.

About Oasis Hospital

Oasis Hospital has been serving the Al Ain and surrounding communities for 52 years. It was founded in 1960 at the invitation of the late Shaikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who wanted every citizen to experience compassionate and professional healthcare. It was the first hospital in Al Ain and in the emirate of Abu Dhabi.

As the first private hospital in Abu Dhabi to achieve Joint Commission International Accreditation, Oasis Hospital has a long and established reputation of trust in the community and among the country’s leaders.  In addition to its well-known obstetrics and gynecology services for women and pediatric services for children, the hospital has recently introduced new specialty services that include orthopedics, ophthalmology and ENT (ear, nose, throat). Present inpatient and outpatient services include urgent care, men’s health, internal and general medicine, and radiology.

For more information about this Oasis Hospital please visit: http://www.oasishospital.org/

About CURE International
Oasis Hospital is part of the CURE International network of hospitals. CURE is passionate about the physical and spiritual healing of disabled children in developing countries.