Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) has announced vacancies for registered nurses to work on a contract basis.
The hospital is currently seeking for 35 nurses to work for a duration of three months on a contract. The nurses will be working 8 hour shifts five days a week.
The compensation package includes a salary of USD 587 and service allowance. Nurses who have completed level 5 and above have been instructed to send in their applications to the hospital via email before May 19.
The nurses at the largest government hospital have been working longer shifts as their demand have soared following the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospital is also experiencing a shortage as 16 nurses have been isolated from a single department although no medical professional has yet tested positive for COVID-19.
The sector will experience significant challenges due to lack of staff as COVID-19 is expected to hit its peak towards the end of May. Although some 900 positive cases have been recorded in the Maldives so far, the number is projected to reach a staggering 6,000 by the end of the month when the spread reaches its peak.
Earlier, the Maldivian Nurses Association had called on ex-nurses to return to service in an attempt to ease the workload of nurses serving on the frontline. The association noted nurses are key professionals during the pandemic as various measures are being taken from the public and the private sector to contain the spread. Hence, the association urged nurses who had left service to return to practice.
Spokesperson at the National Emergency Operation Centre (NEOC) Mohamed Mabrook Azeez had said 55% of the total nurses, doctors and other medical professionals are engaged in the efforts against COVID-19. The remaining 45% will be attending the general cases.