The government is planning to construct a new 10 storey building as part of the Hulhumale’ Hospital expansion project, Chief Executive Officer of Male' Group of Hospitals, Ibrahim Abdul Razzaq Haleem has revealed.
Speaking during PSM News’ ‘Raajje Miadhu’ programme, Abdul Razzaq shared the development plans to develop the four hospitals under the Group including the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), Dharumavantha Hospital, Hulhumale’ Hospital and Villimale’ Hospital serving hundreds of patients across the greater Male’ region everyday.
Part of the plan, according to CEO Abdul Razzaq is to develop a new building on the vacant plot adjacent to the Hulhumale’ Hospital, adding that the budget for the 10-storey building with fully equipped 250 beds and private rooms is being drawn up in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Planning, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure.
In addition, a new 28-bed ward is being developed at the Hulhumale’ Hospital, he said, adding that the project is scheduled to be completed before the end of the year.
The government’s main hospital, IGMH has also undergone major expansion efforts, including projects to increase bed capacity and upgrade the existing wards along with introducing new services, he said.
"We are currently looking to begin cardiovascular surgery along with interventional radiology. There are many such new services we are working to provide,” he explained.
Sharing the latest update on the Villimale’ Hospital project, Abdul Razzaq said efforts to relocate the Villimale' Hospital’s services to the former children’s shelter building to make way for the construction of a new, state of the art hospital building is already underway.
Once the relocation is complete, the contractor will be given the greenlight to demolish the existing building and clear the site for the construction of the new hospital building, he added.
The hospital, which will be developed with the grant assistance of the Chinese government, has been divided across two buildings. There will also be special beds for outpatient, inpatient, emergency, diagnostic, ICU and hemodialysis treatment.
Abdul Razzaq expects the project to get off the ground later this year or early next year.
Enhance Human Resource Capacity
According to Abdul Razzaq, the Group has, during the past 18 months, has significantly boosted the human resource capacity across the four hospitals in the greater Male’ region.
He said to complement the vision to expand quality service and develop infrastructure, the government has attached special emphasis to enhancing the human resource capacity of the health sector.
"From November 17, 2023, we have recruited more than 560 employees for the Male’ City Group of Hospitals. About 75 percent of these are medical staff. It includes medical officers, specialists and nurses,” he explained.
IGMH and Dharumavantha Hospital currently provide 32 specialist services and the primary aim of the Male’ City Group of Hospitals, according to Abdul Razzaq is to ultimately reduce the need to travel abroad to seek medical care.