IGMH National Cardiac Centre Marks 10 Years of Service

The National Cardiac Centre at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) is marking its 10th anniversary this month after providing treatment to more than 50,000 patients and carrying out thousands of cardiac procedures under the Aasandha universal health insurance scheme.

The centre was established on 1 July 2016 through a partnership between the Maldivian government and a team from Meditrina Hospital in India. It became the Maldives’ first formal cardiology department and was founded under the leadership of the country’s first cardiologist, Dr Ali Shafeeq, with the aim of reducing the need for patients to travel overseas for specialised heart treatment.

Over the past decade, the National Cardiac Centre has developed into one of IGMH’s leading specialised units, recording more than 50,000 outpatient consultations.

According to the hospital, the centre has performed around 10,000 coronary angiograms, more than 6,000 coronary angioplasties, over 1,200 primary angioplasties for patients with acute myocardial infarction, and more than 20,000 echocardiograms.

The centre has become the country’s primary provider of cardiac care, with heart disease remaining one of the most commonly treated conditions under the Aasandha scheme.

Speaking at the anniversary ceremony, Head of the National Cardiac Centre Dr Mohamed Shaneez Najmee said the centre is now focusing on strengthening its systems after spending the past decade expanding and improving patient care.

He said the centre currently provides almost all cardiac services required in the Maldives and that only a small number of highly specialised procedures remain unavailable.

Among the services yet to be introduced, open-heart surgery remains the most significant. While a private hospital in Malé has begun offering the procedure, the National Cardiac Centre plans to introduce open-heart surgery under Aasandha coverage.

IGMH has already established a new catheterisation laboratory, and work is underway to develop the additional facilities needed to provide comprehensive cardiac surgery services. The hospital expects to introduce these advanced services in the near future.