First Lady Sajidha Mohamed marked the 10th anniversary of the Maldives’ National Cardiac Centre on Sunday, unveiling a new name and logo for the facility that has served the country’s heart patients for the past decade.
The ceremony was held that morning at Dharumavantha Hospital in the capital, Malé. On her arrival, the First Lady was received by Ibrahim Abdul Razzaq Haleem, Chief Executive Officer of the Malé City Group of Hospitals.
During the event, she unveiled the centre’s new name and logo, formally renaming it the National Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences. She also viewed a video report highlighting the centre’s ten years of work.
A decade of specialist care
The National Cardiac Centre opened on 1 July 2016 as the country’s first dedicated cardiac centre. Its launch allowed patients to undergo specialist heart procedures at home rather than travel overseas for treatment. Within its first month, the centre performed more than 100 procedures, including angiograms, angioplasties and the country’s first pacemaker implant, with support from visiting specialists from India’s Meditrina Hospital.
The unit operates within the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital and is now housed in the adjoining 25-storey Dharumavantha Hospital tower. Its facilities there include a catheterisation laboratory and the first hybrid operating theatre in the Maldives. Over the past ten years, it has broadened the range of heart treatments available in the country.
Tackling a leading cause of death
Cardiovascular disease remains one of the most pressing health challenges in the Maldives. According to Ministry of Health statistics, non-communicable diseases account for the largest share of deaths in the country, of which around 36 percent are linked to cardiovascular disease. Ischaemic heart disease is among the leading reasons for hospital admission nationwide.
The centre continues its work under the new name as it enters its second decade of service.
