Extending health centre services to 24 hours alongside the introduction of laboratory services has ended the need for people to make lengthy journeys for medical tests, marking a major improvement for the public, Minister of Health, Family and Welfare Geela Ali said.
Minister Geela made the remarks at a special ceremony held in Shaviyani Maroshi to launch laboratory services at the island's health centre and extend its services to 24 hours.
Highlighting major transformative changes taking place across the health sector, Minister Geela said extending health centre services on islands to 24 hours represents an important step towards improving the lives of the public. She noted that people previously had to travel to another island even for routine blood tests, costing them time and money while also creating considerable difficulties in transporting patients.
Minister Geela said the introduction of laboratory services has addressed these difficulties by allowing people to undergo tests on their own islands. This will enable illnesses to be diagnosed more quickly and treatment to begin sooner without patients having to travel elsewhere.
Alongside local laboratory services, Minister Geela described the move towards round-the-clock health centre services as a significant improvement that has brought considerable convenience to the public.
"Illnesses and emergencies do not occur at a particular time. Even in the middle of the night, when emergency treatment is needed, having an open health centre and healthcare workers ready to provide care on the island can help save lives," Minister Geela said. "With this change, people with chronic illnesses, older people and children will be able to receive the treatment they need without difficulty."
Establishing laboratory services on every inhabited island of the Maldives is a key presidential pledge of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu. The Government is accelerating efforts to establish laboratory services on 76 islands where they are not yet available.
As laboratory services expand, the Government is also extending the operating hours of many health centres to provide round-the-clock care. It is undertaking extensive work to expand health centre facilities.