Dr Sawsan Al Madhi knew from a very early age that she wanted to follow her father’s footsteps into the world of medicine.
The Iraqi graduated from Sanaa University in Yemen in 1999, after which she pursued her post graduate studies in the UK.
She joined the Friends of Cancer Patients organisation in 2003 and became director general this year.
“I always felt that there was a human touch in the FoCP organisation because people benefit from our services, whether financial or emotional,” Dr Al Madhi says. “We also offer services to help the families of patients cope. Sometimes the patient is stronger than his or her family.”
She says that people should not only aim for excellence in their positions but for mastery of their profession.
“If you want to achieve mastery, you have to know the organisation inside out and exactly how you got to the position you are in,” says Dr Al Madhi, who started as a part-time volunteer in FoCP arranging patient files.
“You have to start from somewhere. It’s usually interest that gets you started, but it is passion that keeps driving you.
“If you wake up in the morning, and you are not excited to go to work, there’s something wrong.”
Along with running the FoCP, Dr Al Madhi is a visiting lecturer at the Canadian University Dubai.
“I love learning and I love teaching, and there’s nothing better than reaching the minds of students,” she says, adding that she hopes that through her work in medical and healthcare research, philanthropy and education, she is contributing to the country and its people.
She believes the UAE is a land of opportunity, and she is an example of someone who has seized that opportunity.
“The UAE appreciates talent and hard-working people, and if you strive for mastery, you can become whatever you want here,” Dr Al Madhi says.
She says one of her biggest achievements was her role in the Pink Caravan campaign to raise awareness about breast cancer.
“Since 2011, we have given free check-ups to more than 35,000 men and women in the UAE,” Dr Al Madhi says.
She has encountered obstacles, but she stresses that there is always another perspective.
“When life offers you challenges, you can always find opportunities in these challenges and you just have to change your mindset,” she says.
Dr Al Madhi, an Iraqi but born and raised in the UAE, says her parents were a big influence in her life.
“They played important roles in contributing to healthcare and education in Sharjah, so I had big shoes to fill,” she says, adding that the UAE’s leadership also inspires her to be the best she can be.
dmoukhallati@thenational.ae
The biog
Born: near Sialkot, Pakistan, 1981
Profession: Driver
Family: wife, son (11), daughter (8)
Favourite drink: chai karak
Favourite place in Dubai: The neighbourhood of Khawaneej. “When I see the old houses over there, near the date palms, I can be reminded of my old times. If I don’t go down I cannot recall my old times.”
Company%20Profile
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TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
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Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
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Company%20Profile
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US tops drug cost charts
The study of 13 essential drugs showed costs in the United States were about 300 per cent higher than the global average, followed by Germany at 126 per cent and 122 per cent in the UAE.
Thailand, Kenya and Malaysia were rated as nations with the lowest costs, about 90 per cent cheaper.
In the case of insulin, diabetic patients in the US paid five and a half times the global average, while in the UAE the costs are about 50 per cent higher than the median price of branded and generic drugs.
Some of the costliest drugs worldwide include Lipitor for high cholesterol.
The study’s price index placed the US at an exorbitant 2,170 per cent higher for Lipitor than the average global price and the UAE at the eighth spot globally with costs 252 per cent higher.
High blood pressure medication Zestril was also more than 2,680 per cent higher in the US and the UAE price was 187 per cent higher than the global price.
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol
Power: 154bhp
Torque: 250Nm
Transmission: 7-speed automatic with 8-speed sports option
Price: From Dh79,600
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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'Nope'
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries