​H.H. Sheikh Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Umm Al Qaiwain, has expressed gratitude to President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan for his initiatives to improve health care services and spread health awareness.

Sheikh Saud expressed his profound thanks to the President for his initiative to build the world-class Khalifa General Hospital in Umm Al Qaiwain.

The Ruler of Umm Al Qaiwain made his remarks while officially inaugurating the hospital in the attendance of H.H. Sheikh Rashid bin Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla, Crown Prince of Umm Al Qaiwain and H.H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs, and a number of top officials.

He said, ''We in the U.A.E. are not only building modern hospitals and healthcare centres across the country but we are, at the same time, working to developing organisational, legislative and legal frameworks that advance health services in both public and private sectors for the betterment of the individual and community.'' For his part, Sheikh Mansour said that construction of the Sheikh Khalifa Hospital in Umm Al Qaiwain translated the visions of the President on the organic relationship between health and development and the importance of delivering high quality, competitive health services responsive to the growing needs of both the individual and community.

He added, "The tour we conducted today in various wards, units and clinics of the hospital, made us more assure of the advanced levels of services the health facility will provide and its role in promoting health awareness among both Emiratis and residents.'' He said the health facility was built as part of the President's initiatives for providing integrated, affordable health care and curative services for all in consistence with aspired best international standards.

The hospital was designed and built on the best international architectural specification, manned with highly experienced professionals and fitted with the most advanced medical equipment, making it one of the best providers of health, diagnostic and curative centres in the state..

The hospital will partner with Fatima College of Health Sciences (FCHS) to develop the nursing profession to train and attract more Emirati health professionals on board.

Sheikh Saud and his entourage took a tour of the hospital which accommodates 203 beds in addition another 30 beds in the emergency unit and 10 beds in the dialysis unit.

The soft trial of the hospital started a year ago and up to October 2013 it received 28,000 patients in the outpatient clinics. 440 employees, from doctors, nursing staff, administrators and technicians, were appointed to operate and run the hospital. Emiratis dominate 70% of the administrative staff and 7.5% of technicians.

The opening ceremony was attended by Sheikh Humaid bin Ahmed Al Mu'alla, Sheikh Khalid bin Rashid Al Mu'alla, Chief of the Umm Al Qaiwain Emiri Court, Sheikh Saif bin Rashid Al Mu'alla, Chairman of the Economic Development Department, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saud bin Rashid Al Mu'alla, Deputy Chairman of Umm Al Qaiwain Executive Council, Sheikh Ahmed bin Khalid Al Mu'alla, Chairman of the Department of Planning and Survey, Abdul Rahman bin Mohammed Al Owais, Minister of Health, Dr. Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Public Works, Ahmed Juma Al Za'abi, Deputy Minister for Presidential Affairs and a number of top officials.