- Aster DM Healthcare named exclusive Health & Wellness Partner for 45 GEMS Education schools, impacting 140,000+ students, 25,000 staff & 110,000 families in UAE
- 12-month Health & Wellness Programme to promote nutrition, fitness, mental wellbeing, preventive care & lifelong healthy habits among children and teachers
- Initiatives include ‘Teacher’s Thursday’, AI-powered health learning tools, Student Health Ambassadors & exclusive discounts for GEMS families across Aster’s network
Aster DM Healthcare and GEMS Education have come together in a collaborative alignment that sets health and wellness at the center of education. As the exclusive Health and Wellness Partner for 45 UAE-based GEMS schools, Aster will bring in cutting-edge programs to instill values of healthy living, healthier and happier lifestyles among students, staff, teachers and families.
Through this collaboration, Aster DM Healthcare will engage with the 45 schools, including 25,000 staff comprising teachers, 140,000+ students, and 110,000+ families across GEMS Education's platform. Beginning with teachers as the immediate stakeholders in influencing young minds, the collaboration is founded on Aster's prevention-first approach and community-level engagement, seeking to build a healthier future for children and the broader community in UAE.
The organisations will establish specific programmes for the staff and the students to facilitate their path to health and well-being. Aster DM Healthcare's inclusive healthcare ecosystem that functions under Aster Hospitals, Clinics, Pharmacies, Opticals, myAster, Medcare Hospitals and Medical Centres will be introduced, to fuel the health and wellbeing agenda of students and their families, employees, teachers and affiliated communities.
Commenting on the tie-up, Alisha Moopen, Managing Director and Group CEO, Aster DM Healthcare stated, "Today's children are the future of the UAE, capitalizing on the country's heritage and fueling its growth narrative as it continues to lead on the global platform. They are the leaders of tomorrow, and at Aster, the least we can do is ensure that they achieve their best by remaining healthy and embracing lifelong wellness habits". This starts with empowering teachers who are key to not only developing knowledge but also laying the groundwork for health and wellbeing. It is an honor to collaborate with GEMS Education, the largest and most prestigious education network in the region, to realize this vision and help them realize their mission of developing the young minds of the UAE.
Jay Varkey, Deputy CEO, GEMS Education added: "Our collaboration with Aster DM Healthcare brings world-class medical know-how and wellbeing initiatives right into our schools and communities. At GEMS Education, we take the view that a balanced education should develop body and mind, and by working with Aster, our students, teachers, and families benefit from access to knowledge, resources, and care that will enable them to live healthier, happier lives".
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Aster and GEMS will also launch together a 12-month Health and Wellness Programme aimed at fostering wholesome wellbeing from the very young. In line with GEMS' BEYOND100 movement, the programme will be centered around the philosophy of Catch Them Young inculcating healthy lifestyle habits and good practices in students right from their young age. With health priorities in mind, the customized clinical program will include a broad array of activities, workshops and awareness programs, encompassing major aspects of child development like nutrition, fitness, mental wellbeing, preventive care and overall wellness.
One of the highlights of the program is the 'Teacher's Thursday' idea, providing special privileges like exclusive discounts offered only to teachers, and special events and expedited appointments for their families, co-staff and even family abroad. Mental wellbeing will also be addressed by the program through special awareness programs for students, teachers, and families. For the students, learning devices with AI will be introduced to enhance the health education process and make it more exciting and interesting, as well as to reinforce their bonding with overall well-being. Additionally, Student Health and Wellness Ambassadors will be appointed to promote the cause among other students, while parents will be engaged through specialist lectures and familiarized with the recent global innovations in children's health and wellbeing.
Aster-GEMS Health and Wellness Program goes live in September and will reaffirm the mutual commitment of the two organisations towards creating a healthier, happier and future-ready generation. The program will also provide exclusive discounts for GEMS families to be utilized across Aster outlets such as pharmacies, opticals, hospitals, clinics, myAster app and at Medcare Hospitals & Medical Centres.
