IGMH Cardiac Centre Treats 50,000 Patients as it Marks 10th Anniversary

The National Cardiac Centre at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) is celebrating a decade of service this July, marking a significant milestone in the Maldives' healthcare journey. Since its inception, the facility has treated over 50,000 patients and performed thousands of critical cardiac procedures, largely supported by the Aasandha universal health insurance scheme. Established on July 1, 2016, through a partnership with India's Meditrina Hospital, the centre was the first formal cardiology department in the Maldives. The initiative was led by the country's first cardiologist, Dr. Ali Shafeeq, with the primary goal of reducing the reliance on expensive and taxing overseas medical travel for heart patients. Over the past ten years, the centre has evolved into one of IGMH's most successful specialized units. Its clinical record is extensive, including 10,000 coronary angiograms, 6,000 coronary angioplasties, and more than 20,000 echocardiograms. It has also performed over 1,200 primary angioplasties for acute myocardial infarction, cementing its role as the nation's primary provider of cardiac care. During the anniversary ceremony, Dr. Mohamed Shaneez Najmee, Head of the National Cardiac Centre, emphasized a strategic shift in the facility's evolution. While the last decade focused on strengthening direct patient care, the centre is now prioritizing the optimization of its overall systems to enhance efficiency and accessibility. Despite its success, the centre continues to expand its capabilities. While most cardiac services are now available locally, open-heart surgery remains a critical gap. Although some private facilities in Malé have begun offering these procedures, the National Cardiac Centre aims to integrate open-heart surgery under Aasandha coverage to ensure equitable access for all citizens. To support this growth, IGMH has already established a new catheterization laboratory and is planning additional facilities for comprehensive cardiac surgery. This physical expansion is matched by a growing professional capacity; the department, which began with a single Maldivian cardiologist, is now entirely staffed by local healthcare professionals, including six locally trained cardiologists.