Abu Dhabi: Today Al Hilal Bank distributed car seats for newborns at Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women & Children in Abu Dhabi, part of United Eastern Medical Services, as part of its new initiative for promoting child safety in the UAE. Leaders and employees from Al Hilal Bank, along with staff from Danat Al Emarat Hospital, were in attendance as local families were the first to receive the vital safety equipment that can save lives. The Car Seat initiative forms part of the bank’s long-term Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program and comes in line with Danat Al Emarat Hospital’s continuous initiatives towards promoting health awareness and enforcing child safety.
Commenting on the launch of the new community initiative, Alex Coelho, the CEO of Al Hilal Bank, stated: “In the first half of 2017 the UAE’s Ministry of Interior revealed that 9 children had died and more than 100 were injured as a result of not using children’s car seats. This loss to the community can be avoided and our initiative to provide car seats to families in the UAE is, therefore, both a timely and important one. At Hilal Bank we take CSR very seriously and are proud to play a role in providing support to local families and help promote broad child safety culture in the UAE.”
Mohammed Ali Al Shorafa Al Hammadi, CEO & MD of United Eastern Medical Services (UEMedical) stressed on the importance of such campaigns and initiatives witnessed throughout the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the UAE. “Partnering with Al Hilal Bank in this initiative is truly an honor as we join efforts in promoting awareness amongst the population of UAE on child safety,” Mr. Al Shorafa said.
YouGov-led research sampling parents in the UAE, found that the majority of parents still do not believe in the importance of car seats. An astonishing 34% saw no necessity to buy them, 28% do not know which seat to buy, while 15% believe that passengers holding children is safe enough. By tightening traffic controls and fixing misconceptions surrounding child safety on UAE roads, change could be made that saves the lives of thousands of children a year.
To address this critical societal need, Al Hilal Bank has joined forces with Danat Al Emarat Hospital in Abu Dhabi and partnered with two other leading hospitals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai to offer free car seats for new parents.
The program will be complemented by an extensive car seat awareness campaign on social media and across Al Hilal Bank branches, with the objective of reinforcing the importance of car safety for children. Mr. Coelho added: “Al Hilal Bank’s objective is to have a lasting impact on the community. Our Child Safety Campaign is designed to make a material impact in many areas of child safety, such as the prevention of food intoxication, car suffocation, pool drowning, cyber space, car seats, CPR, among others. As a community Bank we will also deploy AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) in all our branches. We owe it to our community and to the people we serve.”
Speaking about the car seat giveaways, Vino Nallaya, the CEO of Danat Al Emarat, commented: “As a women and children’s hospital, we have an immense responsibility towards mothers and children, both as our patients and as part of the community. Specializing in high-risk pregnancies and neonatology care, this initiative comes in line with our objectives in serving the babies and helping them remain safe on UAE roads. Al Hilal Bank and Danat Al Emarat Hospital share a core belief and we are proud to move forward together in supporting the local community.”
The distribution of car seats is in line with Federal Traffic Law No. 21 1995, as amended per Ministerial Resolutions 177 and 178 of 2017, aiming to protect the lives of children from their leading cause of death in the UAE; traffic accidents.
About Al Hilal Bank:
One of the fastest growing banks in the UAE, Al Hilal Bank is a 100% government-owned progressive Islamic bank headquartered in Abu Dhabi. With authorized capital of AED 4 billion, it was founded by the Abu Dhabi Investment Council, an investment arm of the Abu Dhabi government. Operating with 18 branches in the UAE and 3 branches in Kazakhstan through the help of 1,300 staff members, the Bank provides Shariah-compliant Personal, Wholesale and Treasury banking services to over 100,000 customers and manages the Al Hilal Global Balanced Fund, Global Sukuk Fund and the GCC Equity Fund. Al Hilal Bank was recognized as the Safest Islamic Financial Institution in the GCC by Global Finance in 2016, and attained an A1 Moody’s and A+ Fitch credit rating.
About Danat Al Emarat Hospital for Women and Children:
Danat Al Emarat is a world-class specialty women and children’s hospital located in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and managed by Singaporean ParkwayHealth, a subsidiary of Southeast Asia’s largest private healthcare provider, Parkway Pantai Private Limited. The five-storey hospital covers an area of 45,000 square meters, offering a comprehensive range of inpatient and outpatient medical services, full-fledged Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) & Pediatric Center, Woman’s Diagnostics & Breast Imaging, Surgery, Obstetrics & Gynecology & others, all of which are equipped with the latest technology and highly-qualified staff to provide unmatched patient and family-centered care. Adopting top international hospitality standards, Danat Al Emarat provides a full range of VIP suites and services to cater to the Abu Dhabi Community combined with leisure and entertainment for the families and guests. Danat Al Emarat is a flagship hospital of the UEMedical healthcare network, Abu Dhabi’s leading privately owned Healthcare Development & Investment Company. The hospital was designed by renowned American architectural firm HKS.
