MoHaP to develop National Strategy for Nursing and Midwifery

The five-day workshop, which was hosted by MoHaP’s National Committee for Nursing and Midwifery Affairs, aimed to develop implementation, follow-up, and evaluation methods to ensure the optimal execution of the strategy in collaboration with all parties and strategic partners, once approved by the Cabinet.

Senior health officials from the UAE and abroad have taken part in the workshop, including Prof. Rowaida Al Maaitah, Consultant for Her Royal Highness Princess Muna Al Hussein for Health and Social Development, Ahmed Ali Al Dashti, Assistant Under-Secretary for the Support Services Sector at MoHaP; and Dr. Sumaya Mohammed Al Blooshi, Head of the National Committee for Nursing and Midwifery Affairs and Director of Nursing-Emirates Health Services.

Also present were representatives of strategic partners, legislative, health, and academic bodies in the country, as well as a number of international experts in the field of nursing and midwifery.

The event kicked off with a speech delivered by Al Dashti on behalf of Dr Mohammed Salim Al Olama, Under-Secretary of MoHaP, in which he underlined the significance of promoting the nursing and midwifery professions. He noted that MoHAP attaches utmost attention to these two professions in particular thanks not only to their vital role in society, but also to them being the beating heart of the health care sector and the backbone of all health facilities.

For his part, Dr. Yousif Mohammed Al Serkal, Director-General of Emirates Health Services (EHS), stated that the National Nursing and Midwifery Strategy has been developed in accordance with the wise leadership's directives, which focus on investing in national cadres and talents and strengthening their contributions to advancing and maintaining development efforts in all important areas, particularly in the health sector.

According to Dr. Sumaya Al Blooshi, the workshop covered different topics most notably the national regulatory frameworks for nursing and midwifery, which include the scope of practice, standards of functional and specialised competencies, rules of professional conduct, and patients' rights. In addition to addressing ways to upgrade the strategy, the workshop also touched on the standards and policies that support nursing specialties and professional development.

Wedad Bu Hamid, Director of the Government Communication Department at MoHaP, also took part in the workshop, where she reviewed MoHAP's media strategies developed for promoting the National Nursing and Midwifery Strategy, raising the level of public understanding of the value of the two professions, and attracting national cadres to meet the community’s growing health needs.

Bu Hamid added that the ministry has put in place forward-looking plans to enhance the attractiveness of the nursing and midwifery professions through initiatives and programmes to be implemented until 2026.