Minister of Health Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim has said that 41 healthcare guidelines were established last year to ensure patients receive the same standard of treatment and care, regardless of their location.
The minister made the remarks while speaking on a podcast, where he highlighted the importance of trust in the healthcare system. He said such trust is built through the establishment of strong Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), adding that these standards must also be internationally recognised.
Minister Nazim said the development of additional treatment guidelines, along with the necessary training, has been allocated funding under this year’s budget. He stressed the importance of healthcare workers, particularly doctors, being well-versed in these SOPs in order to strengthen the healthcare system nationwide.
He said the implementation of uniform guidelines would ensure an acceptable and consistent standard of treatment for common illnesses across the country, with healthcare providers following the same treatment protocols throughout the Maldives.
The minister also noted that the lack of adequate infrastructure remains the biggest challenge in expanding healthcare services across the atolls.
To address this, he said construction of healthcare facilities is currently underway in several phases under a USD 323,678,850 initiative aimed at improving access to health services nationwide.