Public Health Specialist Dr. Sheena Moosa has warned that the Maldives’ situation due to COVID-19 is very grave.
The Maldives has recorded 6,660 positive cases and 26 deaths. The number of cases have been surging over the past couple of weeks.
In an interview given to local channel, RaajjeTV on Sunday, Dr. Sheena said the number of positive cases has increased drastically and that the number of people who require hospitalisation has also increased significantly. 62% percent of hospital beds in the Greater Male’ Area are already occupied, and this percentage is a cause for concern, said the doctor. Although the number of fatalities recorded in the Maldives are comparatively less, the large number of people being treated in ICU could increase the toll in the coming days, she warned.
“In other countries, a large number of people passed away because the healthcare system was overburdened and could not cater to them. The numbers kept rising at such a fast pace that no beds were available for incoming patients, no doctors and nurses were available to cater to them,”
Noting that the Maldives is approaching that point, Dr. Sheena said the country does not have enough doctors and nurses to cater to the rising number of patients. While one nurse is assigned to five hospital beds under normal circumstances, currently, one nurse is assigned to 30 beds, she noted.
“The point is that the Maldives’ health system is also burdened, and does not have the capacity to cater to all. The system is simply getting by one way or the other. If this rate keeps up, we may reach the point where we need to put up hospital beds in local schools. But the question is, who will treat them?”, said Dr. Sheena.
Acknowledging that four deaths occurred within one week over the past couple of weeks, Dr. Sheena said the death toll is significantly higher compared to a small archipelago like Maldives.
