Hospital wards enriched with 5,000 books, as a collaborative effort between EHS and Mohammed Bin Rashid Library.
In a significant move towards promoting holistic healthcare and fostering a culture of lifelong learning, Emirates Health Services (EHS) has partnered with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library's "A World Reads" initiative.
The collaboration, timed with the National Reading Month, aims to provide over 5,000 Arabic and English books to hospital libraries across multiple EHS facilities. The initiative's goal is to foster a therapeutic environment enriched with intellectual engagement, supporting mental well-being and rehabilitation.
Dr. Noor Almheiri, Director of the Mental Health Department at EHS, emphasised the importance of integrating books into hospitals, stating that reading plays a pivotal role in rehabilitation and enhancing the quality of life. She reiterated that this partnership would contribute to creating a calming, enriching space within hospitals, soothing patients, families, and staff.
Ali Juma Al Tamimi, Director of the Libraries Department at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library, reaffirmed the library's dedication to cultivating a reading culture, particularly among youth. He stated that initiatives like "A World Reads" contribute to lifelong learning and national development by expanding access to diverse knowledge resources.
The partnership embodies UAE’s vision of holistic healthcare that extends beyond physical treatments to holistic well-being, including mental health and education. By promoting a reading culture in hospitals, the initiative aligns with the UAE's broader literacy and cultural goals, such as National Reading Month "UAE Reads 2025" and the UAE Centennial 2071 Vision, which aims to create a knowledge-based society.
This synergy between a national reading initiative and a health services provider offers clear potential to enhance the therapeutic milieu of hospitals and foster health literacy and patient empowerment through reading. The initiative could be integrated with smart platforms or apps that provide curated educational content and literature digitally, aligned with patients’ needs and contexts to encourage continual reading and learning even during hospitalization.
Key figures attending the event included Dr. Noor Almheiri, Dr. Ammar Albanna, Director of Al Amal Psychiatric Hospital, and Ali Juma Al Tamimi, who marked the initiative's launch with an official handover event at Al Amal Psychiatric Hospital.
By transforming hospitals into therapeutic reading hubs, this partnership aims to promote a reading culture and broaden access to knowledge for all societal segments, including patients in EHS facilities. The initiative underscores the commitment of both EHS and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library to improving the quality of life and healthcare for the people of the UAE.
[1] [Source for the benefits of reading on mental well-being and health literacy] [2] [Source for the potential impact of the initiative on patient compliance and engagement]
- The collaboration between Emirates Health Services (EHS) and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library's "A World Reads" initiative signifies a commitment to fostering lifelong learning, mental health, and emotional well-being.
- The initiative aims to create a therapeutic environment in hospitals by providing access to over 5,000 books in Arabic and English, as part of a broader vision to enrich patient lives and promote health literacy.
- By integrating books into hospital libraries, EHS and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library hope to contribute to national development, especially within the spheres of education, self-development, and culture.
- The partnership represents an extension of the UAE’s holistic healthcare approach, which addresses not only physical ailments but also mental health and overall well-being.
- By promoting a reading culture within hospitals, this initiative aligns with the UAE's broader goals such as National Reading Month "UAE Reads 2025" and the UAE Centennial 2071 Vision, which seeks to establish a knowledge-based society.
- The initiative offers the potential to enhance the patient experience in hospitals, not only through providing access to intellectual resources but also through the use of smart platforms and apps that cater to individual needs and contexts, fostering learning and engagement.
