News

Maldives govt hails 'unprecedented' health sector progress

  • Changes brought to IGMH is an example
  • Number of trained doctors will increase
  • Government has accomplished feats in the medical sector

Maldives government Monday hailed successful efforts to 'revolutionize' the archipelago's health sector claiming that 90 percent of its goals have been attained.

Noting the revolutionary changes in the Maldivian health sector, state health minister Hussain Rasheed said that during the past three years, the government has stationed doctors in every populated island in the island nation.

He further pointed that the electoral pledge to build three tertiary hospitals in the Maldives is near completion, with the significant upgrades on regional hospitals in Kulhudhuffushi and Addu.

The Ministry said 38 doctors have been sent to train abroad since 2014 to fill the need for specialists in Maldives -- where the cost of USD20,000 per doctor is a huge investment to the health sector by the government.

"We are preparing to send doctors to be trained as super specialists next month as well. God willing the amount of trained doctors will increase in the Maldives," Rasheed added.

Rasheed said the complete revamp of the main hospital Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) is a prime example of progress. He further stated that the current government introduced new labs to IGMH, which previous governments had failed to do and that this has made access to health care much easier.

"During the past three months, over 200 patients have been treated by the center for heart diseases, and Thalassemia screening has been introduced in 13 different Atolls by July this year. Efforts are currently ongoing to spread this service to every location in the Maldives," he explained.