ICU Visit, Heart Attack: How These UAE Professionals Who Chose Work Over Health Got 'Wakeup Call'

In the UAE's fast-paced work culture, many professionals are chasing career goals at the expense of their health . Working late nights at the office, skipping breakfasts, eating lunch that comes out of cardboard boxes and ending their day by carbonated drinks with some cigarettes have become a usual routine.

As the world marks World Health Awareness Month in April, some UAE residents are opening up about how neglecting their health led to life-threatening illnesses .

Osman Kazami, a 42-year-old Iranian businessman based in Deira, was one resident who pushed his health to the limit in achieving his goals.

“For me, work always came first. I constantly compared myself to other businessmen and competed with them every day. It felt like a constructive race, until my health gave out,” said Kazami.

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Always on the move between his office, shop, and meetings, he fueled himself with sugary energy drinks and fast food , surviving on less than five hours of sleep each night.“I skipped meals to attend meetings and to secure international clients. I smoked to cope with stress. I believed I was doing what I had to do to succeed,” he said.

But his world came crashing down when he suffered a heart attack.“I was at a hotel lobby in Deira, waiting for a client from Africa. The moment I greeted him, I collapsed,” he said. Kazami was rushed to a nearby public hospital where doctors not only confirmed a heart attack, but also diagnosed him with bronchitis and stage 2 chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

“Waking up in the ICU was the most terrifying moment of my life. That's when I realised, the body keeps count of all the fast food, energy drinks, and cigarettes. I had abused my body for years and now it hit me,” he said.

Now, four years later, Kazami is living proof that turning your life around is possible.“I am still ambitious, but now my goal is better health. And surprisingly, my business is doing better too, because I show up with more energy and clarity.”

Rahul, a 30-year-old Abu Dhabi resident, had built a thriving career in event management, but at a high cost.“I lived on adrenaline and coffee,” he said.“Proper healthy meals didn't exist in my life. Carbonated drinks were my go-to for quenching thirst and I never made time for doctor's visits. I kept telling myself I was too busy to worry about health.”

Late nights with friends and regular cigarette breaks were part of his lifestyle. But one casual evening turned into a nightmare.“I never imagined that a night out and a few cigarettes would leave me gasping for air, clutching my chest, and begging to survive,” said Rahul, who collapsed and was rushed to Burjeel Hospital in Abu Dhabi.

He was diagnosed with a full-blown heart attack.“I always thought heart attacks were something that happened to people in their fifties or sixties, not someone like me. That moment was a wakeup call and I realised how I had abused my body,” he said.

Rahul walked out of the hospital two days later, alive, and finally changed for good.“I was discharged from the hospital, nearly healed, but I transformed emotionally and mentally; I became so strong that I made discipline my partner. Health is the greatest gift and one should not wait for a crisis to realise that.”

Dr Arun Hari, interventional cardiologist at LLH Hopital, has treated hundreds of similar cases.“People are willing to burn themselves out to save time or make money,” he said.“They eat junk food because it's fast, skip workouts because they are tired, and ignore symptoms until something serious happens.”

Dr Hari stresses that preventive care, regular checkups, a balanced diet, physical activity, proper hydration, and adequate sleep are not luxuries, they are necessities.

“You don't need an expensive routine. You just need consistency,” he said.“Your body is sacred, and health is the one gift that cannot be replaced.”

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