Pink Caravan calls for Emirati medical practitioners to join 6th annual ride

SHARJAH, 28th January, 2016 (WAM) -- The Pink Caravan Ride, a pan-UAE breast cancer awareness initiative by the Friends of Cancer Patients, FoCP, has called upon Emirati medical practitioners to join its sixth annual ride, taking place from 7th-17th March, 2016, across all seven emirates. For the first time this year, electronic applications are also being accepted through the Pink Caravan website. Registration runs from January 28th to February 11th and the requirements for doctors are that they practice general medicine, family medicine or radiology. It has also urged nurses and X-Ray technicians to join them. Dr. Sawsan Al Madhi, Director General of the FoCP and Head of the Pink Caravan Medical and Awareness Committee, said, "We are pleased to announce that applications for the sixth annual ride are now open for both Emirati and non-Emirati doctors, nurses and other medical practitioners as well as to residents of the UAE who would like to join the ride. We reached out to doctors through the media for the first time in 2015 and received a great turnout, where 67% of the doctors were Emirati." Last year during the 10-day ride, 30 clinics were set up across the country offering free breast cancer screenings, with the participation of approximately 150 doctors, 67% of which were Emiratis. They accompanied the 150 horse riders and 100 volunteers of various nationalities who travelled across the seven emirates, kicking off from Sharjah, passing through Fujairah, Ras al-Khaimah, Umm Al Qaiwain, Ajman and Dubai, finishing in Abu Dhabi. According to Dr. Al Madhi, a training workshop for the medical teams will be organised to ensure they are completely ready for the 2016 ride. The Pink Caravan was founded in 2011 under the directives and with the support of H.H. Sheikha Jawaher Bint Mohammed Al Qasimi, Founder and Royal Patron of FoCP, International Ambassador of the World Cancer Declaration for Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), International Ambassador for Childhood Cancer for UICC and Wife of H.H. the Ruler of Sharjah. Since its inception, it has strived to raise awareness of the importance of early detection and regular check-ups among citizens and residents of the UAE, to dispel myths surrounding the disease and to lobby for a national cancer registry. – Emirates News Agency, WAM - http://www.wam.ae/en/news/emirates/1395290801115.html