Latifa Hospital, previously known as Al Wasl Hospital, is a

public hospital A public hospital, or government hospital, is a hospital which is government owned and is fully funded by the government and operates solely off the money that is collected from taxpayers to fund healthcare initiatives. In some countries, this typ ...

Dubai Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of ...

that provides medical care specifically for

women A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...

and children. In April 2012, it was renamed Latifa Hospital in memory of Sheikha Latifa bint Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

History

Al Wasl Hospital was inaugurated in 1986 as a 40,000 square metre, 367-bed hospital specializing in maternity and paediatrics. The order to change the name to Latifa Hospital was given by

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( ar, محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم, links=no; ; born 15 July 1949) is the vice president, prime minister, and minister of defence of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as well as the ruler of Dubai. ...

in order to honor his late mother. This order was given on the 6th anniversary of his accession as the

Ruler of Dubai The Ruler of Dubai is the position of the hereditary monarch and head of government of the Emirate of Dubai, one of the six ruling families of the UAE. The Ruler is also considered the head of the House of Maktoum, the royal family of Dubai. ...

. The construction of the hospital was carried out by the Dubai-based Habtoor Leighton Group, which was awarded a contract. Construction commenced in 1986 and was completed in 1987. It is reported that the total number of healthcare providers and ancillary employees running the hospital is approximately 1300. As of 2012, Latifa Hospital performed 6700-7800 deliveries per year.

Accolades

In 2011, the hospital was recognized by the

United Nations Children’s Fund UNICEF (), originally called the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund in full, now officially United Nations Children's Fund, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to ...

as a baby-friendly medical facility. During a ceremony celebrating the achievement Director of the

Dubai Health Authority The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) is a government organization overseeing the health system of Emirate of Dubai, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Background The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) was formed in 2007 under the directives of Sheikh Mohammed ...

, Qadhi Saeed Almurooshid, stated that the recognition was earned by the implementation of 10 criteria related to the 10 steps for successful breast-feeding in its baby-friendly initiative, which aimed to increase awareness of mothers about the benefits of breast-feeding. in 2006, Latifa Hospital’s Department of Genetics Centre and Thalassemia Centre was presented with the Hamdan Award for an Outstanding Clinical Department in the Public Sector and in 2012, Latifa Hospital’s Department of Neonatal Care was presented with the Hamdan Award for an Outstanding Clinical Department in the Public Sector in the UAE.

References

Hospital buildings completed in 1987 Wasl Wasl Wasl {{UnitedArabEmirates-hospital-stub