CEO of Male' City Group of Hospitals Ibrahim Haleem stated yesterday that efforts to establish an additional cardiac catheterization laboratory (cath lab) in Dharumavantha Hospital and an additional MRI machine at Hulhumale' Hospital are being conducted, with the services to begin operation within this year.

During an interview with Mihaaru News, Haleem said there are many efforts being made toward improving the quality of the hospitals under the city. This includes offering new services at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) and Hulhumale' Hospital, and the expansion of the services in the future, he said.

According to Haleem, work is being done to establish an additional cath lab at Dharumavantha Hospital to increase the speed of services.

Cath lab services at IGMH began being offered at the Cardiac Center opened in the hospital under an agreement with India's Meditrina Hospital.

As the agreement for the center, which was handed over in 15th November 2015 for 10 years during former President Abdulla Yameen's government, reached its expiration on November 2025, the center's services are currently being offered by Maldivian doctors at IGMH.

Along with establishing an additional cath lab at Dharumavantha Hospital, the single-plane hybrid operating theater at the hospital is set to be changed to a bi-plane hybrid operating theater, said Haleem. The CEO also said the cath lab at IGMH will see an upgrade from a single-plane to a bi-plane.

"This is a very important upgrade for heart and nerve diseases. The most modern treatment resources have been established," said Haleem. 

There have been many complaints that the services being offered at Hulhumale' Hospital have not been advancing along with the increasing population in Hulhumale'. 

Haleem stated that they have looked into the matter and are conducting efforts to set up an additional MRI machine at the hospital.

"The load is increasing due to there being only one machine. It is a known fact that medical equipment needs to be repaired from time to time. If services are stopped like that, the queue will get even longer," according to Haleem.

"We are working to establish two MRI machines so that we can meet demands and also to have a backup. We currently have a machine that is in operation. We are working to set up another machine as well," said Haleem.