IGMH Laboratory Faces Temporary Shortage of Equipment for Specific Blood Test
Equipment Shortage at IGMH Laboratory Delays Specific Blood Tests | Photo: MV+
The Male’ Group of Hospitals has acknowledged that the laboratory at Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) has run out of the equipment required to conduct a specific type of blood test, but stated that a new shipment expected to arrive on Monday will resolve the issue.
The matter came to light after Maavah MP Ahmed Shakir wrote to Speaker Abdul Raheem Abdulla on Saturday, reporting that he had recently learned of an 18-year-old mental health patient who had been turned away from the IGMH laboratory. The patient had sought to complete mandatory blood tests before beginning critical treatment. Shakir said the teenager confirmed test availability beforehand, booked an appointment, and waited in a queue of around 200 patients before being informed that the laboratory lacked the necessary equipment.
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Shakir alleged that the laboratory is currently short of reagents needed to run lithium tests, along with petri dishes.
Responding to the allegations, the Male’ Group of Hospitals stated that IGMH typically schedules shipments to avoid any shortages, but the current delay is due to a holdup from the supplier. The hospital was originally expecting the equipment to arrive on Saturday, but now anticipates receiving the shipment on Monday evening. The hospital added that efforts are underway to expedite the delivery and that no other routine blood testing services have been disrupted.
In his letter, Shakir also claimed that the Maldives has run out of medicines used in blood transfusions for stroke patients.
The request for a parliamentary inquiry into the alleged shortage of essential medical equipment follows the Parliament’s rejection last week of an emergency motion submitted by the MDP, which expressed concern that shortages of essential medicines were putting individuals with chronic illnesses at risk.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu established the State Pharmaceutical and Medical Supply Corporation in September with the aim of strengthening the procurement and distribution of medicines, medical consumables, and equipment nationwide. Despite this, complaints regarding the availability of certain medicines continue.
