Minister of Health Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim has said that work on the first, out of the many General Practice Clinics planned to be opened in Male, will be completed within the next one and a half to two months.

President Dr Mohamed Muizz decided that GP clinics be opened in Male City to address the issue of long queues to see specialist doctors.

Hence the Male’ City Group of Hospitals earlier announced plans to establish four government-funded general practice (GP) clinics across various locations in Male’ City. This initiative aims to reduce waiting times and ease crowding at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH).

These clinics are intended to reduce patient queues by handling initial consultations, after which patients needing specialized care will be referred by the clinic to the appropriate specialists.

Speaking about government efforts so far to address the issue, Minister Nazim said the problem will be very much solved once these GP Clinics come into operation.

Stating that the first Clinic will be opened at Coral Boulevard Building, he said work is also underway to recruit people for the necessary posts of the clinic, and said work on a second Clinic will also be launched soon.

Minister Nazim said that four GP Clinics will be opened in Male’ itself and two in Hulhumale. He noted that normal practice in providing health service in other countries too, is to first seek help from a family clinic or a smaller health facility, for minor ailments, which would relieve congestion at major hospitals. Likewise, once these GP clinics in Male City are opened, long queues at larger hospitals will be very much reduced, opening up space for much needed emergency services and Specialist Treatment.

According to recent IGMH data, over 400 people seek treatment on a daily basis at emergency department of Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital. Out of these, 300 come for minor ailments which can be referred to a GP clinic.

Over 150,000 patients sought emergency or general practice healthcare at the hospital, while approximately 240,000 individuals accessed outpatient department (OPD) services. Additionally, around 238,000 patients visited Hulhumale’ Hospital for routine doctor’s appointments.

IGMH, the primary government-funded hospital in Male’, offers a wide range of services, including free healthcare for all Maldivians. The demand for hospital services has surged significantly, affecting not only IGMH but other healthcare facilities in the area as well.

 CEO of Male City Group of Hospitals, Ibrahim Abdul Razzaq Haleem also highlighted recently the common issues patients face when navigating healthcare, such as unintentionally consulting the wrong type of specialist and experiencing prolonged treatment delays. He stated that the GP clinics will address these issues by providing clearer guidance on which specialists to consult.

Dharumavantha Hospital also disclosed recently that significant changes are being made to the appointment system, especially for specialist consultations. These improvements will ensure patients are informed in advance of their appointment times, ultimately reducing waiting times and improving the overall patient experience.