Parliament asked to probe alleged equipment shortage disrupting blood tests at IGMH

A lawmaker from the main opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) has asked the Parliament’s Social Affairs Committee to probe an alleged shortage of equipment and other crucial material that is disrupting blood test services at the main government hospital, the Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

In a letter addressed to Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla on Saturday, Maavah MP Ahmed Shakir that he recently became aware of a case involving an 18-year-old mental health patient who was turned away by the IGMH laboratory when he went there to get blood tests done before beginning crucial treatment.

According to Shakir, the teenager had made sure the tests were available from IGMH, booked an appointment with the laboratory, and waited in a queue of some 200 other patients before being told they were unable to run the tests because the laboratory did not have some of the equipment they needed to run the tests.

Shakir alleged that the IGMH’s laboratory is currently short of reagents to run lithium tests, as well as petri dishes.

He said that the Maldives has also run out of medicine needed for blood transfusions to stroke patients.

“These aforementioned issues is an added blow to the large number of citizens who are already suffering from a shortage in essential medicine,” he wrote.

“Given that this is directly linked to public health, I ask for a speedy inquiry into this through the Parliament’s Social Affairs Committee for an effective solution to this.”

IGMH was not immediately available for comment regarding the allegations.

The request for a parliamentary inquiry into the alleged shortage of essential medical equipment at the country’s main government hospital comes after the Parliament last week rejected an emergency motion submitted by the MDP expressing concern that a shortage of essential medicine was endangering the lives of people with chronic illnesses.

President Dr, Mohamed Muizzu had established a new state-owned company in September named the State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Corporation, with the primary objective of strengthening the supply and procurement of medicines, medical consumables, and equipment across the country.

However, complaints over lack of availability of certain medicine continues.

The corporation’s managing director Dr. Shah Mahir told Sun in a previous interview that it would take around three months to transfer work from State Trading Organization (STO) and set up operations.