Mabrook: Medical students being called back to improve preparedness

Government spokesperson Mabrook Azeez, on Sunday, said the government was working on bringing back medical students overseas in order to improve the health system’s preparedness to deal with any change in the COVID-19 situation in Maldives.

Health Minister Abdulla Ameen, on Saturday, had appealed to Maldivian medical and other health professionals overseas to return to Maldives and join in the national emergency response operations.

At a press conference this afternoon, Mabrook addressed questions as to why the government was seeking so many doctors given the success in keeping virus numbers low in Maldives.

“We have said this before, that Maldives is not even close to overcoming the current situation. And we also explained that we need to create 200 beds in ICU facilities and 2,000 beds in quarantine and isolation facilities, and staff these places,” said Mabrook.

He said that with resort islands being turned into quarantine facilities in order to secure the necessary number of beds, the government also needed staff to work in shifts at the facilities.

“Therefore, we are currently preparing on equipping ourselves with the necessary number of doctors, nurses and health professionals to deal with any situation Maldives may face,” said Mabrook.

He said that the national advisory committee on the virus situation in Maldives had urged filling the resource gap which existed within the health system, and that it was for that purpose that government decided to seek the assistance of medical students and doctors who are specializing overseas.

Mabrook said the government had already brought in 33 doctors from Nepal at government expenditure, while 10 others had returned at their own expenditure to volunteer their services. They are undergoing the mandatory 14-day quarantine which has been ordered on all inbound air passengers to Maldives, except for tourists who have made bookings at resorts.

13 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Maldives, all of whom are foreign nationals who were either working or vacationing in resorts or safaris. Of the 13 people, five were from Kuredu Island Resort, two from Sandies Bathala, two from Kuramathi Island Resort, two from Anantara Dhigu, and two from Island Safari-1.

Three have since recovered, but continue to be closely monitored at isolation facilities.

Mabrook warned that the situation must not be taken lightly, and that the risk of a local outbreak remained.