Inaugural Neonatal Nurses Conference Provides Vital Platform to Bolster Infant Care in Maldives

The first-ever Neonatal Nurses Conference, an initiative to strengthen specialised care for infants, has successfully concluded after two days of training and discussion.

Organised by the Malé City Group of Hospitals (MCGH), the event brought together nurses from across the nation to improve service quality and standardise care for newborns.

The conference, which was held from 10 to 11 September, focused on evidence-based practices and professional networking to address the historical lack of formal neonatal nursing training in the country. It was held at Dharumavantha Hospital, where the opening ceremony was inaugurated by First Lady Sajidha Mohamed.

Two nurses from hospitals in Malé and the atolls participated, with more than 40 attending in person and an additional 30 joining online. Organisers noted the conference was a significant success, creating a platform for nurses to share best practices and forge professional connections.

Participants engaged in expert-led sessions, simulation-based learning, and discussions on neonatal care, including using new technology and ensuring patient-centered service delivery. The importance of providing compassionate care and support to vulnerable newborns and their families was also emphasised.

Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing that they learned valuable new information and skills.

"Service delivery has been strengthened, and I have become familiar with new healthcare facilities. I will go back to my island and share what I have learned with other nurses. I hope this important conference will continue in the coming years,” one participant said.

The MCGH, which includes Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), Hulhumalé Hospital, and Dharumavantha Hospital, highlighted the significance of strengthening the network among neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses throughout the Maldives.

The group operates NICUs with a combined 42 beds across the three hospitals to provide specialised care for the approximately 1,000 infants who require critical treatment each year.

Following its successful first edition, the MCGH expressed its commitment to expanding the conference in the future to include even more participants.