Minister declines to share details of medical negligence probes

Health Minister Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim on Thursday stated that it is not his practice to disclose details of ongoing investigations into alleged medical negligence to the media.

The remarks were made during a press conference held at the President’s Office to address the death of Shiuna Thaufeeq, a child who died after being transferred from GA. Villingili Hospital to Malé via GA. Kooddoo. The child passed away while undergoing treatment in Malé.

During the press conference, a journalist posed a question regarding the Ministry’s actions in connection to the case. Nazim responded to the question only after addressing all other queries and concluding the session.

In his response, the minister acknowledged that incidents can occur during the provision of health services which may result in harm to patients. He stated that such events cause distress not only to families and the public, but also to healthcare workers involved.

“Health professionals view these matters seriously. Even when working with dedication, unexpected incidents can still happen,” he said.

Nazim added that following his participation in the recent World Summit on Patient Safety, it had become clear that the existing reporting systems require improvement. He said that the ministry would take steps to strengthen reporting mechanisms and encouraged the public to use the complaint submission feature on the Ministry’s website.

The ministry has not yet released further details about the investigation into Shiuna Thaufeeq’s death.