The Chief Executive Officer of Male’ City Group of Hospitals (MCGH), Ibrahim Abdul Razzaq Haleem, has stated that efforts are underway to complete the expansion of the medical and paediatric wards at Hulhumalé Hospital by the middle of this year.
The project to expand the hospital’s medical and paediatric wards has been awarded to the Road Development Corporation (RDC).
Speaking on a programme aired on ‘Dhivehi Raajjeyge Adu’, the state radio broadcaster, MCGH CEO Haleem noted that the most pressing issue currently faced by Hulhumalé Hospital is the lack of bed capacity. To address this, work is ongoing to develop a 28-bed ward, with completion targeted for mid-year.
He also highlighted that, alongside increasing bed capacity, efforts are being made to introduce additional services. Within this year, new Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and X-ray machines are to be installed at the hospital. He emphasised that these developments are crucial to providing more accessible and efficient healthcare services to the public. He further explained that the introduction of these additional services requires the construction of a new building at Hulhumalé Hospital, and work is currently in progress to facilitate this. The proposed building will accommodate 250 beds, including private rooms.
CEO Haleem added: “This year, work will also begin to establish labour rooms and a ward within the gynaecology department. In addition, following requests made by the public during meetings with the President, efforts are underway to introduce neurology outpatient (OPD) and urology services at Hulhumalé Hospital.”
Of the 28 additional beds, four will be designated for a Medical High Dependency Unit (HDU), 15 for the general ward, and nine for the paediatric ward. The paediatric ward currently has six beds; this will increase to 15 upon completion. The general ward will have a total of 27 beds. Over the past two years, several key developments have been implemented to address space constraints and expand services at the hospital. These include the establishment of a modern operating theatre complex with four theatres dedicated to eye, orthopaedic, gynaecological, and general surgeries.
In addition, a 10-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and an isolation unit have been established to provide close monitoring and care for critically ill patients. A 14-bed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) has also been developed to care for newborns with complications. Furthermore, a Central Sterile Services Department (CSSD) has been introduced to sterilise medical equipment, replacing the previous single-machine system.
With these enhancements, the number of beds in the Emergency Room (ER) has increased from seven to 14. Dialysis services have also been significantly expanded; from 10 beds with long waiting lists to 30 beds, effectively eliminating waiting times.