Chief Executive Officer of Addu Equatorial Hospital (AEH), Dr Ahmed Adheel Nasir has stated that efforts are underway to introduce a paramedic ambulance service in Addu Atoll before the end of this year.

Dr Adheel said the hospital has begun recruiting paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) as part of preparations to launch the service, which is expected to strengthen emergency medical response across the Atoll.

He noted that nurses are currently dispatched to accident scenes due to the lack of trained paramedics. Despite this, he said AEH has established a coordinated emergency response system with health centres across Addu to ensure ambulances reach patients as quickly as possible.

Speaking to State media, Dr Adheel explained that emergency calls are coordinated through the hospital's call centre, which dispatches the nearest available ambulance. Under the current system, the ambulance from Feydhoo Health Centre responds to emergencies in Feydhoo, while incidents in Maradhoo are attended by the Maradhoo Health Centre ambulance.

He added that hospital staff remain on standby to respond to emergencies at all times and said the existing coordination system has enabled medical teams to reach many accident scenes promptly.

Dr Adheel also revealed that AEH is undertaking several initiatives this year to further improve ambulance services, including the development of a dedicated ambulance complex alongside the recruitment of specialised emergency personnel.

The introduction of a paramedic ambulance service is expected to enhance pre-hospital emergency care for patients, while the planned ambulance complex is set to further strengthen Addu's emergency healthcare system.