Local doctors to run IGMH Cardiac Centre once Dharumavantha Hospital's theatre renovated

Male' City Group of Hospitals Chief Executive Officer Ibrahim Haleem has said today that once the Hybrid Theatre at Dharumavantha Hospital is renovated and back in service, the Cardiac Centre at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital can be run by local doctors.

Parliament's Committee on Social Affairs yesterday summoned senior officials of Male' Group of Hospitals to seek updates about government run hospitals.

The Cardiac Centre at IGMH is currently run in collaboration with India's Meditrina Hospital. However, with competent local doctors now available, the government's vision is to hand over the running of the unit to Maldivian doctors and to further expand services.

Responding to a question regarding this at the committee meeting, Haleem said that once renovation of the Hybrid Theatre on the 11th floor of the Dharumavantha Hospital is completed, the Cardiac Centre can be transferred to local doctors.

He stated that the target is to complete theatre renovations within the next month. Furthermore, efforts to procure consumables needed for service resumption will also begin next month, he said.

He said that at present, consumables needed for the Cardiac Centre are brought through collaboration with a foreign party, and that once this can be independently sought, Maldivians can begin to provide service.

"God willing, we will commence ahead of November," he said.

In his presentation to the committee, Haleem said that much of the equipment at the Hybrid Theatre is damaged due to lack of use and improper maintenance.

He said that completion of the Hybrid Theatre, and commencement of Cardiac Unit services would significantly bring down the number of patients necessitated to go abroad for treatment.

"[Once the services are commenced] neuro and cardiac strength will improve markedly, we will also begin cardiovascular surgery, endovascular surgery and neurosurgeries," Haleem said.

The running of the Cardiac Centre was contracted to India's Meritrina Hospital for a period of ten years on November 15, 2015 during the administration of former President Abdulla Yameen.

Statistics shared by IGMH show that from the day of signing until last July, USD 28.7 million was spent on Meditrina Hospital. In addition to this, MVR 355,647 was spent on salaries for Medritrina Hospital's doctors within that duration.

When cardiac services was commenced, the only cardiologist at IGMH was Dr Ali Shafeeq, the first cardiologist in the Maldives. Since then, three more doctors have specialized in the field, with four cardiologists working at the unit at present.