Chemotherapy services begin at Ungoofaaru Regional Hospital

Chemotherapy services have begun at Raa atoll Ungoofaaru Regional Hospital, expanding access to cancer treatment outside the Malé area.

Hospital Manager Hussain Asif told Mihaaru News that the service started last Monday after nurses received specialised training with support from Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

The service is being provided in collaboration with the Oncology Centre at Hulhumale' Hospital.

Intravenous chemotherapy can currently be administered to two patients at a time, and two patients are already receiving treatment, Asif said.

Cancer patients in the Maldives have long raised concerns that specialised treatments are largely concentrated in the Malé area. Over the past two to three years, however, chemotherapy services have gradually been introduced in other regions of the country.

Chemotherapy was first provided outside the Malé area on 16 December 2020, at Lhaviyani Atoll Hospital.

Asif noted that around 100,000 patients seek treatment at Ungoofaaru Regional Hospital each year. He added that improved connectivity through the RTL ferry network has significantly increased patient numbers accessing healthcare services at the hospital.