IGMH in need of emergency treatment!

“I went to IGMH to take an x-ray and it took three whole hours. The staff are inattentive to the needs of the patients. The situation is worse than before. The whole place is impossible,” said a Maldivian citizen who went to the State hospital for an x-ray two weeks back.

 The complaint is being echoed by an increasing number of Maldivian. There are complaints about the lack of hygiene at the hospital. There are complaints about the damaged air conditioning units at the Emergency Room of the hospital. There are complaints about the angry faced-staff who greet patients at the hospital. These are only some of the complaints being made against Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), the main State hospital of Maldives.

“Maintenance work [in] progress in IGMH. When all the patients are asleep! What can we do? This can be done at daytime can’t it?” said a man who took to Twitter to voice his frustrations last Tuesday.

Maintenance work progress in IGMH.
Balimeehun nidhanvaa gadeega! Keehkuraany. Dhuvaalu vaguthu nuvatha iraakolhu gaves kurevayne dho. https://t.co/MfFGN5xW9F

— Amsa@2019 (@amsa_ambk) May 14, 2019

The timestamp on the tweet shows it was made near midnight.

Another citizen took to Twitter to voice frustration over all hospitalized patients being allowed only one pillow due to a shortage of pillowcases at the hospital.

These complaints have once again become the daily life of Maldivian citizens. IGMH itself, seems to be in more need of medical attention than the patients who visit the hospital.

AIR CONDITIONING AT ER UNDER REPAIR FOR NEARLY TWO MONTHS

The air conditioning units at IGMH’s ER have been under repair for nearly two months. When the ER – which has a high daily patient turnover – becomes an oven, it increases the pain and misery of the patients instead of providing them with relief. But the situation remains unresolved, two months on.

Mi sarukaaru ai fahun IGMH hospital ge haalathu varah bodu thanun dhashah gossa vaa kamah faahaga kurevey. @MoH_mv @igmhmv

— bal ???????? (@cheballoo) May 13, 2019

Minister of Health, Abdulla Ameen himself has been criticized over the conditions at IGMH by angry citizens. But many of the senior officials at Ministry of Health point the finger of blame at the President’s Office. President’s Office reports that Ali Shiyam, Minister at the President’s Office, is in charge of overseeing the affairs of IGMH.

IGMH ge ICU ge AC ves repair koh nulevi maheh. gasdhuga government sabotage kuraa meehun beyru kurey!

— f i Я a s (@firax) May 11, 2019

Ali Shiyam says he has no involvement in the day to day running of the hospital, but is only in charge of making arrangements required by the hospital from the State.

He says that despite the complaints, the current conditions of IGMH is better than the conditions before.

“It has been three months and you have yet to manage to repair the AC at IGMH’s Emergency Room. And he seems not to have any knowledge of hospitals and health centers in the islands,” wrote a citizen in a tweet directed against Minister Ameen.

The people’s concern is that the facility where they need to receive medical care is far from being up to par. The people are not willing to accept it takes months to repair an air conditioning system.

SEEKING BUT NEVER REACHING A SOLUTION

In response to public complaints, the media officer at IGMH, Mohamed Mufeed says that the hospital is seeking solutions to the issues. A solution remains to be reached. Any the effort to reach a solution has yet to cool the hospital’s ER to a bearable temperature.

Mufeed says the air conditioning system will be repaired by end of this May. He says the units at the ER were damaged due an issue with the central air conditioning system. That the delay was because the cooling towers needed to repair the units have to be acquired from abroad.

Addressing the complaint over lack of hygiene, Mufeed says the hospital is cleaned on a daily basis. He said that hygiene was a top priority, but made no further comment.

Hospital akee Bali meehun gina In dhaa thaneh. IGMH hospital ge saaf thaahir can oiy minvaru balan sarukaarun independent bayaku fonuvvaigen ballavaa dhevvun edhen.

— Mariam Waheeda (@WaheedaMariam) May 7, 2019

“Sun” called IGMH’s CEO, Ibrahim Saleem (Kuda Bandhey) for a comment regarding the issue. He did not pickup, but responded with a message asking to call back at a later time as he was busy.

The people of Maldives seem to have time travelled back to seven years ago when the conditions at IGMH were at its poorest. IGMH is once again on the gurney. The State hospital IGMH needs some emergency treatment before it crashes in face of massive public disapproval.