Dr. Abdul Samad Memorial Hospital (ASMH) in Thinadhoo, Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll, has begun Chemotherapy for the first time.
The Ministry of Health has been working with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to raise public awareness of cancer and to help identify the risk factors. The ministry is making efforts to expand the treatment services needed by the infected. As such, chemotherapy services are being conducted at ASMH.
Speaking to PSM News, Deputy Managing Director at ASMH Abdul Azeez Rifau said that many patients have to go to other hospitals abroad or to Male' City for chemotherapy services. He noted that the public spends a lot on the treatment. Therefore, he stated that the service will bring great convenience to the public.
ASMH began chemotherapy services with a two-bed ward. The staff has been trained in collaboration with the Hulhumale' Hospital to begin the chemotherapy service, and the necessary facilities have been established and developed in the hospital to the standard set by the health ministry.
Developing health facilities in the atolls is one of the highest priorities of the administration. As such, the government decided to develop ASMH to the tertiary level due to the large population on the island that relies on the hospital for health services. Chemotherapy services are being offered at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), Hulhumale' Hospital, and other hospitals in the atolls.