PTCL’s cyclist Muhammad Rizwan along with Team Etisalat at the Cross-Euro Cycle tour held to create awareness against Diabetes.
Etisalat Group yesterday celebrated the successful completion of an
arduous cycling tour through five European countries to conduct research
and test prototype technology to manage diabetes.
Cyclists from Pakistan Telecommunications Company Limited (PTCL) were
also part of the Etisalat’s international cycling team. Each of the
participants of Team Etisalat, hailing from its operations in UAE,
Pakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Tanzania were given a
hero’s welcome and congratulated by the company’s senior management at a
special ceremony in Abu Dhabi.
“These Etisalat employees tested their physical and mental
capabilities to the limit in order to help progress the development of
mHealth technologies to help people with diabetes,” said Ahmed
Abdulkarim Julfar, the CEO of Etisalat Group and a Board Member of the
GSMA. “Technology has a role to play in managing these diseases and
other health conditions and by working with other ICT players we are
showing the commitment of our industry to helping our customers and
improving their lifestyles.”
The GSMA Grand Health Tour concluded in Barcelona, Spain, after
crossing through Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and France. The riders
took turns to represent Team Etisalat over four 3-day, stages cycling
approximately 200km per day. The total journey was 2,100km including
22,000 metres of climbs and several difficult locations that have been
used for the Tour de France.
Ali Alsheri from Mobily, part of Etisalat’s operations in Saudi
Arabia, led the team out from Brussels, along with UAE colleague Shahzad
Ahmed. In the Second Stage, Jason Woodrow who is based on Etisalat’s
Abu Dhabi headquarters, and 56-year old Chief Technology Officer, Moncef
Mettiji from Zantel in Tanzania, covered over 600km each.
In the Third stage, Ahmed Rizwan (PTCL, part of Etisalat’s operations
in Pakistan), Ahmed Ragaie, from (Etisalat Misr, Egypt), and Sara Coppo
(Etisalat Group, UAE), navigated tricky descents through the French
Alps from Voreppe, close to Switzerland towards Castres which neighbours
Spain.
In November 2012, the GSMA launched its mDiabetes Program, which
encourages collaboration among people affected by diabetes, the policy
makers and regulators, healthcare providers, healthcare payers and the
mobile operator community. The project aims to develop and implement
mHealth initiatives designed to manage the disease.