Emirati doctor is fulfilling Sheikh Zayed’s vision

With regard to your story, Emirati doctor is furthering her study in US capital so she can make a difference in the UAE (August 24), it shows that investing in education is investing in a sustainable future. There are so many countries that fail at this and others that excel. Take Singapore as an example. It has no real natural resources, except for its people. The government has invested heavily in educating them and Singapore’s success economically and politically speaks for itself. So kudos to the UAE for educating its people. Again, its success economically and politically is reflective of this strategy. Randall Mohammed, Dubai I applaud your story about Fatima Al Dhaheri, the second Emirati to study at Children’s National, a Washington DC hospital that houses the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Paediatric Surgical Innovation. By doing so, she will be fulfilling the Sheikh Zayed’s vision to ensure future generations of Emiratis will receive the full benefits offered by medical advances. K Ragavan, United States Praise for the UAE Peace Corps idea Your suggestion that young Emiratis might engage with the country's generous aid programme by doing extended voluntary service in places of need ( Should the UAE think about a 'Peace Corps'? , August 25) is a wonderful idea. Should it come to fruition, I wonder if it could be open for others to join too, so that it would be like an even more inclusive version of the US Peace Corps. Jen Bishop, Abu Dhabi Generosity is also needed within the UAE Your story, UAE has become the leading donor to charitable causes around the world (August 24) demonstrates the UAE's excellent reputation for extending a helping hand all over the world whenever there is need for medical, food or shelter. Nothing is expected in return for the billions of dirhams spent every year for these causes. As a long-time resident of this great country, I appreciate the UAE’s leaders for this humanitarian work. Being a social worker, I have seen many patients in UAE hospitals who are admitted because of chronic diseases and cannot pay their hospital bills. Many of them prefer to go back to their home country where the treatment will be free or cheap. Such patients have to go via a wheelchair or stretcher, which costs a substantial sum. In one recent case at Rashid Hospital, a patient was paralysed on one side and he is facing a Dh200,000 hospital bill. His brother is on a very modest income and cannot even dream of paying this amount of money. When I see these kind of deserving cases, I always remember the old saying that charity begins at home. I would like to know if there is a charitable organisation in the UAE specifically designed to support these kinds of cases, because it would be a great relief to many patients who are suffering in UAE hospitals. K V Shamsudheen, Dubai Divorced mothers’ straits a surprise I was surprised to read your editorial on the increasing trend of Emirati mothers who face financial difficulties after the failures of their marriages ( Divorced mothers need more support , August 24). It is indeed alarming the number of women separated from their partners keep increasing. With the UAE being one of the most advanced Arab nations, the root cause of this high divorce – and not just the allowances being paid to them to look after themselves and their children – needs to be evaluated and studied. There are several aspects that merit closer scrutiny. The quality of the education these children will receive after their parents divorce is a serious concern. This situation requires adequate support, financially as well as morally from society. These mothers must be independent and bold enough to make decisions to keep their families moving forward. At the same time, as divorce becomes more common in most advanced societies, there also needs to be an assessment of how divorced mothers should overcome the psychosocial stress that they have to bear. Ramachandran Nair, Oman Your newspaper published a letter to the editor on this issue from I Nikol that suggests any divorced mother should be grateful for what she gets. I ask the writer whether a family should be grateful for starving? I say they should not and the fathers absolutely must accept their responsibility towards their families and ensure their children are provided for instead of evading their part in raising children. Name withheld by request I am surprised by this. Based on the one divorced Emirati mother that I know, I expected that Emirati families would take in their daughters in these situations. Dolores Basilio, United States

Emirati doctor is fulfilling Sheikh Zayed’s vision

UAE praised for investing in its people's education. Other topics: Emirati volunteers, UAE aid and divorced mothers.