Hulhumalé Hospital Adds Specialist Services to Reduce Patient Travel Abroad

Hulhumalé Hospital has expanded its medical capabilities with the launch of three new specialist services in gastroenterology, neurology, and urology. The expansion, which included the opening of a dedicated Neuroscience Unit, aims to decentralize specialist care and alleviate the heavy patient load at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Malé. Minister of Health, Family and Welfare Geela Ali inaugurated the services, emphasizing that the primary goal is to reduce long waiting lists and minimize the number of Maldivians forced to seek expensive medical treatment overseas. Minister Geela stated that the administration is committed to establishing these specialist services across government hospitals to make healthcare more accessible to the general public. Previously, residents of Hulhumalé requiring these specific treatments had to travel to IGMH or Dharumavantha Hospital. According to Ibrahim Abdul Razzaq Haleem, CEO of the Malé City Group of Hospitals, the new neurology service now provides both consultations and EEG services. The urology department will offer consultations and uroflowmetry tests, while gastroenterology will initially focus on consultations, with plans to introduce endoscopy and colonoscopy services in the near future. The new Neuroscience Unit will provide EEG services daily during official working hours, with emergency care available around the clock. Registration for these services remains open until 2:00 PM. This expansion is part of a broader modernization effort at Hulhumalé Hospital over the last 30 months to resolve space constraints and upgrade facilities. Recent developments include the establishment of a state-of-the-art operating theatre complex featuring four operating rooms, a 10-bed intensive care unit (ICU), and a modern 14-bed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). These upgrades signal a shift toward making Hulhumalé a primary hub for specialized healthcare, reducing the reliance on the capital's central hospitals.