Shortage of paediatricians at IGMH still a problem after seven months

Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) has said that the problem of shortage of paediatricians at the hospital has remained unsolved for more than seven months.

Head of IGMH Dr Mohamed Habeeb told Sun Online in an interview that the shortage of paediatricians is a serious problem faced by the hospital, as it is no longer possible to conduct regular general consultations for children.

He said that at the moment, it is only possible to provide treatment for children admitted at the hospital.

“The problem of shortage of paediatricians remains unsolved. OPD is also very limited; it’s not possible to provide children’s outpatient services regularly,” he said.

He said that the hospital currently has three paediatricians, out of which one has gone abroad for further studies, leaving only two paediatricians at the hospital.

He said that the efforts to obtain doctors have so far not been successful, and that the problems faced in this regard include the low salaries offered to doctors and the lack of a safe environment in the Maldives for doctors.