The Ministry of Health has said gynaecology services have been introduced in nine additional islands under the current Administration as part of efforts to expand access to specialist care across the Maldives.

In a post shared on social media, the Ministry said the expansion was aimed at addressing long-standing concerns over the limited availability of specialist women’s health services in the islands. The Ministry said the absence of gynaecologists in some islands has required patients to travel to Malé or regional centres for care, particularly for pregnancy-related services.

The Ministry said the introduction of gynaecology services in the nine islands is expected to improve access to antenatal care, childbirth-related services and the treatment of gynaecological conditions, reducing the need for travel to access specialist care.

Separately, Dharumavantha Hospital’s National Fertility Centre reported progress in assisted reproductive services over the past year. The Centre said 23 women have successfully conceived. It also reported that 578 couples consulted, with 96 selected for in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Egg retrieval procedures were carried out for 86 patients, and 68 IVF procedures were completed. Fertility treatment and related services provided at Dharumavantha Hospital are covered under the Aasandha health insurance scheme. 

The Government has said it is working to expand fertility and specialist services, alongside efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery across the country by construction of new hospitals and health centre buildings, the expansion of tertiary-level services and the rollout of laboratory services to additional islands.