Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, SKMC, managed by the Cleveland Clinic, will be showcasing the Abu Dhabi Music and Arts Foundation, ADMAF, Wall of Roses student mural, unveiled yesterday at the hospital.
The mural was created in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Art Hub with 400 school children aged 12 to 17 years old in Abu Dhabi. Each student learned how to make roses using polymer clay, which were then glazed in different colours and developed into a mural portraying young children.
Showing the mural is part of SKMC's philosophy of putting patients first, as it is one of many activities at the hospital designed to provide more than medical care to patients living with illness.
Salama Al Haj, Deputy Chief Operating Officer, SKMC, said, "The healing process is not only about providing a setting of care of the highest quality to patients, but also enhancing their quality of life. The use of art and music in therapy can be used to help encourage emotional expression, promote interaction, relieve symptoms, and can certainly be of help to them in healing their spirits. Art in the hospital helps to develop an environment of healing, and creates a safe, comfortable and spiritual space for the healing process."
"The arts, in all their varied forms, are known to positively impact patients and it is with this knowledge and the experience we have amassed over the last six years that we remain firmly committed to bringing music to medical institutions like the Sheikh Khalifa Medical City for the betterment of all," said Hoda I. Al Khamis-Kanoo, Founder of ADMAF and the Abu Dhabi Festival.
SKMC, managed by Cleveland Clinic, is part of the SEHA HealthSystem and is owned and operated by Abu Dhabi Health Services Company, SEHA, which is responsible for the curative activities of all public hospitals and clinics in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi.