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The new 18-member governing board will oversee 12 major health facilities across the Maldives under a unified administrative structure aimed at improving services and reducing operational costs.
Mariyam Adheela
MALÉ: President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has established the Maldives Tertiary Hospitals Group (MTHG), bringing Male’ City Group of Hospitals (MCGH) and five atoll hospitals under a single governing board as part of a move towards a hybrid centralised management model.
The change involves dissolving the existing governing boards of MCGH and five hospitals: Kulhudhuffushi Regional Hospital, Ungoofaaru Regional Hospital, Gan Regional Hospital, Dr Abdul Samad Memorial Hospital and Addu Equatorial Hospital.
The newly established MTHG board will operate under the President’s guidance and in coordination with the Ministry of Health, Family and Welfare. The Principal Secretary to the President for Tertiary Health Services will oversee the board and its affiliated institutions.
The MTHG will oversee the operations of 12 major health facilities in Malé and the atolls. These include Dharumavantha Hospital, Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), Hulhumalé Hospital, Villimalé Hospital, Maldivian Blood Services and the Thalassaemia and Other Haemoglobinopathies Centre.
The group will also include Kulhudhuffushi Regional Hospital, Ungoofaaru Regional Hospital, Gan Regional Hospital, Dr Abdul Samad Memorial Hospital, Fuvahmulah Hospital and Addu Equatorial Hospital.
The governing board will consist of 18 members. Dr Abdulaziz Yoosuf (V. Akeela), an experienced medical professional, has been appointed chairperson, while IT professional Hussain Haleem of Kunnaaru, G.Dh. Thinadhoo, has been appointed vice-chairperson.
The board includes representatives from the hospitals, healthcare professionals from medical, primary healthcare, public health and nursing fields, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Health, Family and Welfare and the Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises.
Speaking on the sixth episode of Public Service Media’s (PSM) Nation Chat podcast, President Muizzu said developing the healthcare sector remains a government priority.
He said work is progressing to establish tertiary-level hospitals in different parts of the country and improve the standard of atoll hospitals and island health facilities. The aim, he said, is to provide better healthcare closer to people’s homes and reduce the need for patients to travel abroad for treatment.
The President described the administrative restructuring as a measure to strengthen healthcare management, prevent duplication of services and reduce operational expenses.
He said bringing government tertiary hospitals and facilities being upgraded to tertiary level under one administrative structure would allow resources to be shared more efficiently. It would also make it easier for hospitals to access specialist doctors from other facilities, ultimately improving the quality of healthcare services available to the public.
