Ibrahim Haleem, CEO of Dharumavantha Hospital, has stated that the agreement given to India's Meditrina Hospital to run the Cardiac Centre expires next year, and said that the intention is for locals to run National Cardiac Centre in the future.
India's Meditrina Hospital was contracted the Cardiac Centre for a period of 10 years on November 15, 2015, during former President Abdulla Yameen's tenure. Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH)'s agreement with the hospital includes providing clinical services and managing clinical matters, as well as providing additional experience to local doctors through the centre. From the day the agreement was signed until July last year, USD 28.7 million (MVR 442 million) has been spent on Meditrina Hospital. In addition, doctors from Meditrina Hospital were paid MVR 3,55,647 as salaries during the same period, according to information shared by IGMH.
In an interview with Mihaaru News, Haleem said that the aim of this administration is to run the centre independently.
Since local doctors also have the capacity to provide cardiac services, the aim is to provide this service independently, he said.
Although the agreement expires next year, no decision has been taken on the matter so far.
"Since its launch, the service has been well received by the people. When our management and even the government take a decision on the matter, arrangements will be made to provide the service more efficiently than before."
"We are yet to take a decision on whether to renew [the agreement] or not. However, we assure that services provided will not be set back and will be more efficient," he said.
When the Cardiac Centre was initially opened, IGMH had the first local Cardiologist, Dr. Ali Shafeeq. However, during this period, three additional doctors specialized in the field, and a total of four cardiologists are working at the centre currently.
In addition to the centre, the previous government had also set up a National Uro-Renal and Fertility Centre to treat kidney and urinary system disorders and provide fertility services contracted to NU Hospitals, Bangalore, India for 15 years.
The agreement, signed on May 2, 2016, is due to expire in 2031.
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