Home nursing care services to begin sfter Ramadan

Preparations are underway to launch home nursing care services at the end of Ramadan, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) said yesterday.

IGMH Medical Director Dr Aiminath Zeyba Ahmed told Mihaaru News that once the service is launched, hospital teams will visit patients who are identified by doctors as requiring continued care after being discharged.

She said the service is being introduced to reduce the number of patients who need to be readmitted shortly after discharge.

“When patients are discharged, some treatments, particularly for bedridden patients are usually carried out by family members. In some cases, the patient’s condition worsens and they have to be brought back to the hospital very soon,” Dr Zeyba said.

She said the home nursing care service aims to reduce that risk by ensuring professional follow up care at home.

Dr Zeyba said protocols for the service are still being finalized, but guidelines and operational plans are currently being prepared. These plans will include a defined period during which hospital teams will visit patients’ homes.

Training for the nurses who will be deployed for the service is expected to begin this month. A dedicated pool of nurses is also being recruited to support the initiative.

“This will not be a service that the public can request on demand,” Dr Zeyba said. “Patients will be identified during their hospital stay. If a patient requires care for a specific period after discharge, that will be recorded, and home visits will be arranged accordingly.”

She said IGMH is working to launch the service by the end of Ramadan, with the expected start date falling in late March or early April.

As part of the preparations, IGMH has recently announced the procurement of motorcycles to facilitate home visits.

The home nursing care service will be available to patients in Male' and Hulhumale'.