People trained ahead of launching primary healthcare

Health Minister Ahmed Naseem has stated that people have been trained in order to launch primary healthcare in the Maldives.

Speaking to PSM news, Minister Naseem said that efforts to launch primary healthcare were proceeding at a fast pace. He noted that currently work was underway to select employees for primary healthcare.

Minister Naseem also noted that a law needs to be formulated before primary healthcare can be launched.

“When launching primary healthcare, we need a separate institution to oversee it. The institution will be born through law. We will submit the bill on the law to this session. We can only manage primary healthcare when we proceed with it through a law,” he had said.

Minister Naseem said that the introduction of primary healthcare will bring a revolution to the Maldivian health sector. In this regard, he said that the medical history of all Maldivian citizens will be recorded and access to cheaper healthcare will be established.

“Doctors will be everyone’s closest friend through primary health care. Will be working alongside the family, therefore drug addictions can be identified before it is too serious. Then the advice which needs to be given to family members and the advice which needs to be given to children who have been encouraged to abuse drugs can be delivered to them,” he detailed.

Speaking further, Minister Naseem said that efforts were underway to decentralize the Maldivian health system. On this note, he highlighted that development of hospitals at many islands will commence this year. He also added that many regional hospitals in the Maldives already provide ENT surgical services – adding that the need to come to Male’ City for medical purposes has been significantly decreased.

“Will not have to come to Male’ unless on rare occasions. We can arrange to carry out consultations using technology as well. The practice to come to Male’ for every little thing has ceased. It does not exist anymore,” he had said.