VIDEO: Abu Dhabi cop recounts his fight to combat COVID-19

It was Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's reassuring words that helped a senior police officer regain strength and confidence during the force's fight against COVID-19.

In a video shared by the Frontline Heroes Office, Colonel Mohammed Al Khoury, Deputy of the Capital Police Department, spoke about how a simple "Don't worry" from His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, helped him understand that he was "in good hands".

The officer, who had contracted the virus in May, said the treatment further helped him understand the health crisis better.

"It was a good learning experience though. I was in a quarantine center for 14 days. Being in the center allowed me to see first-hand how our people were working, how we were managing, how we talked to patients," he recalled.

The father of five, however, said it was the loss of family time due to his hectic work schedule during the initial days of the pandemic fight that he found the toughest.

"The first two months, I didn’t see my family – I would work and get home late and see my wife for five minutes then I had to go to sleep," Col. Al Khoury said.

He still remembers the call he received early one February morning that changed the "next six months" of his life.

"Come to the crisis management center. We have a mission," Major General Maktoum Ali Al Sharifi, Director General of Abu Dhabi Police had told him.

Col Al Khoury said he was one of five officers who were called in for the briefing after two Italian cyclists competing in the UAE Tour in Abu Dhabi had tested positive for COVID-19.

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"We were instructed to create a task force to work on the mission and everything was immediate. I left at midnight and from February until August, I have worked from 7:00 am to 11:00 pm, seven days a week," he said.

Soon, the team grew and a wider task force was roped in, with teams from the police, traffic department, Abu Dhabi Healthcare Company (SEHA), retailers, hospitality operators, municipalities and multiple government agencies joining in.

Despite receiving 23 medals in his career and serving almost five years in the police academy after graduation, Colonel Al Khoury finds the fight against COVID-19 his most challenging yet.

He also praised the people of Abu Dhabi for their collective response and the Frontline Heroes Office for their exceptional work.

"We are encouraging people to be heroes," he said. "So, it is important to lead by example and show everybody in our service that it is crucial they play their part."