Dialysis services have commenced at Dhaalu Kudahuvadhoo Atoll Hospital, providing kidney patients in the atoll with local access to treatment previously available only outside the island.

The service was officially inaugurated during a ceremony held in Kudahuvadhoo, attended by Minister of Health Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, members of the Kudahuvadhoo Island Council, senior health officials and residents of the island.

Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Nazim said the introduction of dialysis services is expected to significantly ease the burden on patients from Kudahuvadhoo and other islands in Dhaalu Atoll, who previously had to travel long distances to access treatment. 

The Minister stated that dialysis services have now been established in 11 islands across the Maldives within the past two years, describing the expansion as a major step in decentralising specialised healthcare services. The dialysis centre in Kudahuvadhoo is currently equipped to treat up to three patients at a time. Dialysis is required by patients with kidney failure two to three times a week, with each session lasting up to four hours.

The Government has stated that its long-term objective is to introduce dialysis services in all atoll in efforts to ensure equitable access to healthcare services across the country, comparable to those available in Malé.

In this regard, the Administration has also been undertaking reforms to strengthen the national health system, including amendments to regulations under the Aasandha health insurance scheme and measures to improve access to essential medicines at affordable prices.