Everything you need to know about the first Emirati nurse Hussein Qaed who passed away

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, mourned death of the first Emirati nurse, Hussein Qaed, who passed away on Friday.

Sheikh Mohammed said, “Hussein Qaed, the first Emirati nurse, one of the pioneering Emiratis in his field, passed away today…May God have mercy on him and rest him in peace... the nation will always remember him.”

Qaed was among the 43 pioneers who were honoured by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid on the UAE’s 43rd National Day in 2014.

Who is Hussein Qaed?

Hussein Qaed was born in the Emirate of Dubai. He was the first Emirati nurse, specifically in Dubai, where he devoted his life to serving the nation.

Qaed began his career in 1952. He joined Al Maktoum Hospital in Dubai when he was 16 years old, just one year after its opening to provide medical care for members of the society. He received professional training by specialised doctors at that time such as Dr. Mohammed Yaseen, as the hospital was small clinic consisting of a small room for bandaging and vaccination.

He first learned wound dressing and vaccinating children through his work in the clinic or field visits to families across Dubai to follow up on the treatment of patients.

In 1971, Qaed moved to work in Rashid Hospital as a translator for doctors and patients, and as an assistant to the nursing staff, which became regular and relied on certificates and specializations. His work focused on caring for patients’ affairs and following up with doctors and their appointments. He further contributed to training many of his fellow citizens on nursing.

The late Hussein Qaed contributed to the establishment of the Public Relations Department at Rashid Hospital, which served as a center for serving customers and patients, as well as a center for government communication and information center for the Dubai Health Authority in its beginnings.

He moved to Dubai Hospital when it opened in 1985, where he established the Public Relations Department with all its services and activities. It was a training center for all health care employees in the methods of caring for patients and customers in the Emirate of Dubai.

It was a training center for all health care employees on caring methods for patients and customers in the Emirate of Dubai. It also played a key role in qualifying distinguished administrative cadres in this field, as many of them are posing leadership positions in Dubai Health Authority now.

Hussein Qaed was a role model, as he devoted all his efforts to serving the community and patients in the country until he retired in 2010.

He was awarded the Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Award for Distinguished Medical Personalities in the Medical Field in the UAE, in its 10th edition 2017-2018.