Experts say virus awareness is good, high time to open up Maldives

Health experts working in the Maldives have said that it is the right time to begin opening up the Maldives, which has been under lockdown since mid-April due to COVID-19.

Dr. Bruce Stover, a member of the experienced medical team from South Africa working with local health authorities was speaking in a presser today when he said that the awareness level of the public and the capacity in the country was high enough to warrant reopening the country. 

The Tourism Ministry had requested a team of medical experts from South Africa to assist the Maldives in effectively containing the virus which has racked up more than 1,800 infections in the country. The team has been working with IGMH and ADK Hospital to train medical professionals for the virus across the country. 

During the presser today, Dr. Bruce commended the efforts of the Maldives as a country against the pandemic. He said that the intensive care units in the country were of high quality and that he had not seen such high-quality medical professionals in his career before.

The doctor was responding to a question by a journalist at the press conference when he remarked that the current capacity of the country and the number of trained health professionals in the country indicated that it was not too early nor too late to begin repealing the lockdown restrictions across the country.

The doctor said ” I think from a capacity point of view, I don’t think we have not touched every doctor in the islands. They have an idea of what is coming. I think the most important thing you have under control is the oxygen capacity which will be needed if you do have critical care patients. Which is the most important thing. The third thing is awareness.”

Doctors in all islands of the country were well trained for critical care situations stemming from the virus as well as treatment, said Dr. Bruce. The doctor also added that the oxygen storage capacity of the country was high enough to treat a large number of patients if they fell into a state of critical care and required oxygen therapy. 

He commended the government’s efforts in creating awareness in the country and specifically noted the Flu Clinics established and the work to create awareness among the migrant population of the country.

Since the country was heavily dependent on the tourism industry, Dr. Bruce admitted that the country needed an income that cannot be obtained by being kept in lockdown. The current situation and level of awareness in the country meant that it was probably the right time for the Maldives to reopen, said the doctor. 

“Fearfulness is something we need to overcome. No one in the world can say yes or no to opening up. It will be in your best interest to open up and to make sure you have the basic things like PPEs and protocols in place. And just educate, educate, and educate. It is wonderful to work with educated people…It is also important to get some money. I won’t say it is too early or too late. It is probably the right time to start (opening up).” Said the doctor.

Dr. Bruce has a background in working with epidemics such as Malaria, Cholera, and Typhoid and he stressed very much on the importance of further increasing awareness and educating civilians for the virus in order to remain protected from it.

His statements come as the Maldives gears up to reopen the tourism industry in July. The Maldives has so far confirmed 1,841 cases of COVID-19. The majority of the cases were identified among the migrant population living in the populous capital. A total of 608 people have made recoveries from the virus while seven have unfortunately passed away. The deceased include four locals and three foreigners.