A total of 194 beds have been added to the main government hospitals, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) and Dharumavantha Hospital, over the past one and a half years, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Male’ Group of Hospitals, Ibrahim Abdul Razzaq Haleem has said.
Abdul Razzaq Haleem made the remark while speaking at a ceremony held to inaugurate the newly-established Multi-Specialty Surgical Wing at IGMH on Tuesday. In his address, he highlighted the significant developments achieved at both hospitals in recent years. He noted the establishment of a special emergency room for children at IGMH, and a national fertility centre at Dharumavantha Hospital offering in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) services. The operation theatre complex at IGMH and the catheterisation laboratory at Dharumavantha Hospital have also been brought into service, he added.
Highlighting statistics, CEO Ibrahim Abdul Razzaq Haleem said that when the IGMH opened in 1995, there were 186 beds to serve a population of 62,000 people. By 2023, the hospital was operating with 310 beds to for over 212,000 people, with just 130 beds added in the last 30 years, he said.
Abdul Razzaq Haleem said in comparison, 119 beds were added to the Dharumavantha Hospital and IGMH in the last year alone. With the addition of 75 beds on Tuesday, the total number of beds available at the hospitals has now increased to 510, he noted.
"When we think about prioritisation of the health sector and addressing the issues that have been encountered, 130 beds were added in the last 30 years, while 194 beds have been added in the just 1.5 years. This expansion will significantly improve service delivery and healthcare access” he said.
Abdul Razzaq Haleem said the IGMH is already providing 32 multi-specialty services. Bypass surgery and interventional radiology services will also be launched this year, he revealed.
In addition to the infrastructural development of the hospitals, human resource strengthening is also being carried out, he said. Over the past six years, recruitment approval has been granted for 411 employees new employees, most of whom have already joined the workforce, he said.