Healthcare | Sunday 4 January, 2015 5:44 pm |

To mark the beginning of 2015 a group of volunteers visited Rashid Hospital’s Trauma Center to bring the New Year festivities to the patients.
Oxygen Management Consultants organizes the Spread a Smile event and visits Rashid Hospital every year on 31st December. The volunteers take gifts and balloons to celebrate the beginning of a new year with patients who are unable to join their families and friends. The Managing Director, Muneer Samnani, started this project with a small group of three friends (Mumtaz Vasta & Nissa Bhola & Muneer Samnani) in 2010. This year around fifty Spread a Smile volunteers brought joy and shared fun times with the patients.

This year also Oxygen Management Consultants has partnered with Aga Khan Scouts & Aga Khan Guides Group, (AKSG). AKSG is head quartered at Ismaili Centre in Dubai and is a part of the Emirates Scout Association (Sharjah Scout Mission). The Aga Khan Scouts & Guides Group are guided by principles of community spirit, peace, respect for human dignity and mutual understanding – ideals that are derived from the principles of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) – a non-denominational, international development organisation that works to improve the welfare and prospects of people in the developing world. AKSG has been actively involved in planning and participating in major events in the Emirates including Terry Fox Run, Diabetes Walk, and Clean up campaign. According to Muneer Samnani, “This is the third year we have partnered with AKSG. Collaborating with them has been a huge impact for Spread a Smile."

This year a total of 150 patients were visited. The volunteers shared jokes, listened to the patients’ stories and took some selfies with the patients. All the gifts and balloons were sponsored by the volunteers “It really changes the atmosphere of the hospital. We also bring balloons and chocolates for the nurses. This act of giving back is very self- satisfactory and makes my, all the volunteers & patients New Year special”, Muneer Samnani Managing Director. Spread a Smile like its name has a simple purpose of bringing joy to people who have suffered and are unable to spend the festive season among their loved ones.