In order to strengthen neonatal care, First Lady Sajidha Mohamed has called for more to be invested for training healthcare professionals and for their professional development.
While speaking at the opening ceremony of the NeoCare 2026—The Maldives Conference on Neonatal Care Excellence, the First Lady said that lives cannot be saved just by depending on technology. She said there needs to be an investment toward building people who can make use of systems that become more technologically advanced.
Even if a machine can monitor a heartbeat, the First Lady highlighted that only a trained healthcare professional can understand what the heartbeat is indicating. She went on to say at the ceremony held at Meeruma Hall that even if modern neonatal units can serve patients, it can only be utilized effectively with skill, sound judgment and compassionate care.
First Lady Sajidha stated that children born all across Maldives regardless of their circumstances deserve the same quality of care.
The First Lady went on to say that while a healthy child being born is the best luck a family can receive, the situation changes if the baby is born premature. She said that instead of their mother's affection, the child will hear the sounds of the machines in the NICU, with assistance from healthcare professionals being required in that situation.
50 people from 19 healthcare centers in Maldives will be taking part in the conference from today until Wednesday.
During the ceremony, CEO of the Male' City Group of Hospitals Ibrahim Haleem said the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) has strengthened their neonatal care of premature babies. He outlined the important change where eye treatment for such children is now being provided.
