Born in 1947 in Sharjah, Dr. Juma Bilal Fairouz had received education up to the early secondary stage (high school) in Sharjah, later moving to Dubai to complete his Secondary School education. He then went to Cairo (1965) where he studied medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of Cairo University. He had originally planned to study engineering and aviation. However, the death of a younger brother of a disease for which there was no cure at that time made him to change his mind. Medical services then were very limited and mainly offered though the British Complex in Sharjah or the Al Maktoum Hospital in Dubai.

 

After graduation and the internship year at Kasr Al-Eini Hospital of Cairo University, he returned to Dubai in 1973 and worked at the Kuwait Hospital. He was hoping to specialize in pediatrics, but his appointment as Deputy Director of the Therapeutic Medicine Department at the Ministry of Health a year later dashed his hopes. From the position of a practicing doctor he thus moved to the position of both a practicing and administrative doctor. It was such a novel and interesting experience that through his medical background he injected vitality into the administrative systems related to health care delivery. It was also a remarkable experience with regard to teamwork within the Ministry of Health.

 

During that time the Ministry was focusing on the delivery of basic health care and medical services in the northern Emirates (Ras Al Khaimah, Urn Al-Quwain, Ajman and Fujeira, including Khorfakkan and Dibba). As there were insufficient health services in these areas, it was necessary, first of all, to increase the number of clinics.

 

Wishing to continue his academic studies, he gained admission for a Masters programme in community medicine at Glasgow University (UK). However, the Ministry of Health had decided to appoint him as Medical Attache at the UAE Embassy in London.

 

Such was yet another quality shift affecting his career and life, it offered him an opportunity to make dose contacts with the British medical community and the therapeutic techniques and medical services offered at that time on one hand, and an opportunity to serve his countrymen who came to Britain for medical treatment, on the other.

 

However, his quest for graduate studies was again blocked. However, his perseverance and determination enabled him to obtain a Diploma in Public Health from the London Public Health Institute in 1984, despite all the responsibilities he was shouldering in London.

 

While in London he has also managed to engineer a number of agreements between the UAE and Britain in the field of medicine and health services. Chief among these were the agreements signed by individual British hospitals and UAE counterparts for professional development and the exchange of doctors. He has also contributed to the establishment of the UAE-Scottish Society of Health and Medical Education.

 

He returned home in 1993, and was back at the Ministry of Health, he was appointed as Director of the Department of Disease prevention, a position that he still holds to date. He has set forth an effective strategy for the control of contagious diseases through boosting the effectiveness of vaccination campaigns, disease control, and the launching of a vocational health program. This program was absolutely necessary due to rapid developments with regard to labourers. It provided for the control of incoming labourer in close cooperation with the municipalities and the Ministry of Labour. He also contributed to the launching of a civil health and safety programme.

 

Additionally, Dr. Bilal is a member of several local and international committees, the most outstanding of which is membership of the British-Belgian Sports Medicine Society, yet another interest for him ultimately prompting him to obtain a diploma in sports medicine. He is also member of the National Committee on Foodstuffs Safety.

For these varied and valuable contributions, Dr. Juma Bilal Fairouz deserves the Hamdan Award for honouring individuals working in the field of medicine and health for the year 2003-2004.