Widowed Father Demands Justice Over Wife and Newborn’s Death, Calls for Healthcare Improvements
Photo: Shahuna Hameed on Twitter
Shifaz Zahir, a widowed father of two, called for a swift investigation into the death of his wife and newborn due to alleged medical negligence at Gaafu Alifu Atoll Hospital. Speaking at a protest in Gaafu Alifu Vilingili yesterday, he also urged authorities to improve healthcare facilities in the atoll.
“My wife will not come back. Nor will my child. My two children, who are still alive, only have this place [GA. Villingili Hospital] to go to. I implore [upon you] to improve its services,” Shifaz said in an interview with Raajje TV.
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Shifaz recounted the events leading to his wife Shiuna’s death. He took her to the hospital around 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday for what he believed was a minor cough. She was seen by a general practitioner and an internal doctor, though he did not meet the latter.
“They gave us no information,” he said, addressing the rally in the Huvadhu dialect.
He only realised the severity of the situation when doctors requested his permission for an X-ray at 10:30 a.m. The results showed severe fluid buildup in her lungs, requiring urgent treatment. Doctors decided to transfer her to Malé but faced delays in securing coverage from Aasandha, the national health insurance scheme.
ފަރުވާ ލިބުން ލަސްވެ ދެމައިން ނިޔާވި މައްސަލާގައި އިންސާފު ހޯދުމަށް ގޮވާލައި ގއ. ވިލިނގިލީގައި ކުރަމުންދާ އިހްތިޖާޖު.@MoHmv @ANazim2019 @MMuizzu @GaHospital @Ga_Villingili pic.twitter.com/KRPOWxlWlB— Shahuna Hameed (@ShahunaHameed) February 8, 2025
After hours of waiting, doctors told Shifaz they had to perform an emergency caesarean and he had to choose between saving his wife or their unborn child. Though this was their first son in 14 years of marriage, he chose to save his wife for the sake of their two daughters.
Shifaz later learned that a flight initially scheduled for 7:15 a.m. had been cancelled by the doctor without his knowledge. Further delays occurred due to the lack of oxygen on the flight. Tragically, by the time they were cleared to depart, both Shiuna and the newborn had passed away on the runway at Kooddoo Airport around 2:30 p.m.
Fighting back tears at the protest, Shifaz vowed to seek justice and demanded answers for the delays that cost his wife and child their lives.
Residents of Vilingili Protest for Better Healthcare
The protest, attended by Vilingili residents dressed in black, called for an urgent investigation into the alleged medical negligence and demanded improvements at the atoll hospital. Shifaz and other speakers stressed the need for better-trained doctors and the presence of a paediatrician. Some protesters criticised the hospital for hiring “rejected doctors” or those who had “barely passed exams.”
Vilingili Council Calls for Investigation
In a press release, the Vilingili Council highlighted that Gaafu Alifu Atoll Hospital serves not just locals but also tourists, the Kooddoo Fisheries Complex, and Kooddoo Airport. They emphasised that the hospital’s quality should reflect the needs of its community and called for urgent upgrades.
The council also urged the Ministry of Health and the Maldivian Medical Council to investigate Shiuna and her newborn’s deaths. All seven council members signed the statement, demanding justice.
