President Dr Mohamed Muizzu attended a ceremony on Monday to commemorate the completion of the emergency service expansion project at Hulhumale’ Hospital. This project is a key initiative under the government's new policy initiative aimed at enhancing healthcare services.
The newly developed emergency room is established in the hospital’s Kan’bili Building. The inauguration was attended by Minister of Health Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim and senior officials from the Male’ City Group of Hospitals.
Following the official inauguration, the President toured the newly developed emergency room, interacting with hospital staff and patients receiving care.
The project was awarded to the Road Development Corporation (RDC) in November last year. The practical work of the project kicked off on 8 December.
The upgraded facility features state-of-the-art medical equipment, including a resuscitation room for critical care situations. This expansion highlights the government's commitment to addressing major emergencies effectively and ensuring that life-threatening incidents are managed with the most advanced resources available, while also responding to the needs of Hulhumale’s growing population.
With the successful completion of the project, the number of beds in the emergency room at Hulhumale Hospital has now doubled, allowing for 14 patients to be attended to at once. This increase is expected to alleviate pressure on the urgent care services in the region, ensuring timely and comprehensive healthcare for residents of Male’ City and surrounding areas.
The Hulhumale Hospital is the only government hospital in Hulhumale, and handles a significant number of accident and emergency cases. However, the lack of emergency room space and the previous absence of a dedicated resuscitation room often led to patient referrals to other hospitals.
The Hulhumale’ Hospital currently provides Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Orthopedic and Trauma Service (OTS). The new emergency room is expected provide greater relief to patients and improve the hospital’s capacity, the hospital said.
The Hulhumale’ Hospital officially started providing services at tertiary level on 16 November last year, as part of the government's efforts to improve the quality of services provided by the hospital. Several upgrades were introduced to meet the national healthcare standards, including an advanced operation theatre complex featuring four operation theatres for ophthalmology, orthopedics, gynecology and general surgery. The 10-bed ICU and NICU, as well as an isolation unit to provide close treatment to those suffering from communicable diseases were also established as part of the upgrade. The aim is to provide tertiary level services to the people in a sustainable manner in accordance with the national health standards developed to grade hospitals.
Expanding emergency room services is a crucial component of the government's broader health policies to enhance healthcare infrastructure and deliver comprehensive health services to the community. As part of these efforts, various initiatives are being implemented to support the growth and development of healthcare facilities across the Maldives.