The Malé City Group of Hospitals (MCGH) has announced plans to open an optical centre at Hulhumalé Hospital next month, offering free prescription glasses to the public.

The first such facility, MCGH Opticals, was inaugurated today at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu.

According to MCGH Chief Executive Officer Ibrahim Abdul Razzaq Haleem, free prescription glasses will be available immediately at MCGH Opticals. It will also provide prescription glasses, vision testing, and screening for conditions such as glaucoma.

Haleem stated that a similar facility will open at Hulhumalé Hospital next month, with further expansion planned across all regional hospitals. Prescription glasses will be provided free of charge at these facilities, with MVR 2,000 covered under the Aasandha health insurance scheme.

He also highlighted key developments under the current Administration at IGMH and Hulhumalé Hospital, including the establishment of a Children’s Emergency Room, a multi-specialty surgical wing, and the addition of 75 beds. Other projects include the creation of the National Fertility Centre and the upgrading of Dharumavantha and Hulhumalé Hospitals to tertiary-level centres.

Additional improvements include a new Intensive Care Unit at Hulhumalé Hospital, plans for a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, four operating theatre complexes, an expanded Emergency Room, and a dialysis centre. Haleem noted that several other initiatives are underway to strengthen healthcare centres nationwide.