High virus positives among emergency patients spark concern

Health Emergency Operations Center (HEOC) reports an increasing number of emergency patients showing up at hospitals in the capital are testing positive for COVID-19, as Maldives battles a third wave of infections.

In a press conference by HEOC on Friday night, Dr. Mohamed Ali, a physician at Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital, voiced concern that increasing number emergency patients at hospitals are testing positive for COVID-19.

“We have noticed that serious cases – especially those brought in to IGMH ER – are most frequently positive for COVID. We haven’t previously seen a high number of such cases,” he said.

While Dr. Mohamed Ali said that such cases are increasing, he did not provide a specific rate.

Fueled by more contagious new variants – daily COVID-19 infection rates in Maldives are now upwards of 100 cases.

Dr. Mohamed Ali warned that with the increase in infections, the number of hospitalized patients is also increasing, and appealed to the general public to increase vigilance.

86 percent of beds in COVID-19 medical facilities in Male’ region are currently full. Of the 453 beds, only 23 are currently unoccupied.

Speaking during the press conference, Dr. Ali Latheef said that though the authorities can increase beds, finding more health professionals to treat patients will be hard. He said that the only available course of action is to bring down the infection rate.

“When the cases increase, hospitalizations will become harder. At present, an average of 15 patients per day requires hospitalization. Some days its 30 patients,” he said.

Maldives confirmed 120 new cases on Friday alone, 99 of them from the Male’ region. 57 COVID-19 patients have died from complications.

Maldives has over 17,500 confirmed cases, 15,142 of whom have since recovered. The country currently has 2,302 active cases. 206 of the patients are hospitalized.