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Dubai: An inmate of Al Aweer jail who had both his legs amputated due to diabetes was thrilled when Dubai Police surprised him with prosthetic limbs and a wheelchair on Wednesday.
The Arab national in his 60s came to Dubai on a visit visa in 2015 and had his left leg amputated because of the disease.
He was arrested for staying illegally in the country last year and had his second leg amputated while in jail.
He had just finished his jail term and was about to return to his home country when Dubai Police sprang the surprise on March 20, which was International Happiness Day.
“Dubai Police is always keen to spread happiness among inmates,” said Brigadier Ali Al Shamali, director of the Correctional and Punitive Establishments Department at Dubai Police. “The humanitarian committee helped the inmate by buying artificial legs for him and an electric wheelchair. It is part of an initiative called ‘Return of Hope’ during International Happiness Day.”
The artificial limbs and wheelchair are worth Dh35,880.
Brigadier Al Shamali said Dubai Police helped the inmate upon the directives of their Commander in Chief, Major General Abdullah Khalifa Al Merri.
“When he came to the jail, he already lost one leg due to diabetes. His second leg was amputated too. We decided to help him as it is a human case,” said Al Shamali.
The inmate thanked the UAE for its support.
“The humanitarian behaviour in jail was unbelievable, nobody can find that in other countries,” the inmate said. “They helped me despite the fact I was serving a jail term. Usually, the inmate is either released or deported immediately to his country. But Dubai Police helped me with my medicine and treatment and now I have new legs,” he said.
The humanitarian section in jail helped solve problems for 5,485 inmates last year at a cost of Dh8.1 million.
That aid was also used to pay school fees for the children of inmates, paying rent for the families of inmates, covering flight costs, medical cases and also to pay blood money, for those inmates involved in cases where someone had died as a result of their actions.
The section organised many initiatives for the families of inmates, such as providing clothes and school equipment to help raise a positive spirit among inmates ahead of their return to society as reformed characters.
