Workplace skills plan for women patients

WOMEN with sickle cell disease will be trained and counselled to help them tiffany pendants sale their mark in the workplace.

The initiative aims to transform the lives of female sufferers and is being spearheaded by the Bahrain Society for Sickle Cell Anaemia Patient Care.

A total of BD8,000 has been raised to pay for the programme at the Bahrain Training Institute (BTI) for one year, but the society hopes to collect even more cash to extend the training for more women as well as men.

Society chairman Zakareya Ebrahim Alkadhem said the society had started with women because their futures were most affected by the disease.

"Some girls end up divorced because the disease puts a strain on the family, so we will give them skills and help them solve their problems," he told the GDN.

"There is an idea that no-one will look at or marry a woman with sickle cell disease and she doesn't have any future and this will affect her health. We want to build women's confidence and skills and show them that they can be independent from men."

The students will take a one-year UK BTEC diploma in a subject of their choice, such as tiffany earrings sale, computing, marketing, administration or graphic design.

Along with the training the women will have access to counselling at the BTI that will help them solve any personal problems they could be facing.

In addition, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland-Medical University of Bahrain (RCSI-MUB) will give the women medical counselling to help them change their lifestyles and reduce the number of days they spend in hospital and on medication.

"We need to motivate these patients and change their lifestyle, so that instead of only going to the hospital they can study and work," said Mr Alkadhem.

"We want to show these patients that they deserve more. We want this training to continue every year, so we instigate further fundraising activities.

"We are also looking at helping them set up their own micro-businesses."

There are currently 18,000 men and women in Bahrain with sickle cell disease, as well as 65,000 carriers.

Sickle cell disease is inherited from parents who are both carriers. The disease causes episodes of pain, increased susceptibility to infections and psychological problems.

People who inherit the sickle cell gene from one parent will not have the disease, but can pass the gene on to their children.

Bahrain has had an active programme for the prevention of sickle cell disease for decades and pre-marital screening has been mandatory for all Bahrainis since 2005.

Efforts by the Health Ministry to reduce the number of children being born with the tiffany necklaces sale have been successful.

In 2008, 0.7 of every 100 live births had sickle cell disease, but the figure dropped to 0.5 last year.

Donations in support of the training programme can be made at the BTI, in Isa Town.

Credit: Gulf Daily News, Manama, Bahrain