Maldives to establish doctor appointment system
He noted that some patients arrive after being seen at private clinics and referred to hospitals for follow-up within five days.
The Male’ City Group of Hospitals has announced several measures to address public concerns over delays in obtaining doctor appointments at hospitals under its management.
Officials from the hospital group, Aasandha, and the National Social Protection Agency (NSPA) were summoned to the Parliament’s Social Affairs Committee on Wednesday, where questions were raised regarding delays in securing doctor consultations and issues surrounding hospital bill payments.
Speaking at the committee, Abdul Razzaq Haleem, Chief Executive Officer of Male’ City Group of Hospitals, said many patients visiting IGMH and affiliated hospitals are not first-time consultations. He noted that some patients arrive after being seen at private clinics and referred to hospitals for follow-up within five days.
Haleem stated that patients requiring follow-ups or tests within that timeframe are placed on a separate referral list at both Hulhumale’ Hospital and Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH). However, he acknowledged that a shortage of specialists in some departments contributes to extended wait times.
“If test results indicate serious issues, hospitals prioritise appointments for those patients,” Haleem added.
Dr Shah Mahir, Deputy CEO of the hospital group, explained that admitted patients, or those for whom doctors have requested follow-ups, are given priority in scheduling. He said a different queue is maintained in most departments for such cases. Still, some departments experience backlogs and are unable to meet follow-up deadlines.
To address the issue, the hospital group is in the process of rolling out an appointment scheduling system, Dr Mahir said. “Currently, most departments operate on a queue system where patients are unaware of the exact time they will be seen. Four departments will soon shift to a time-specific appointment system,” he said, adding that the group aims to expand this system across all departments by the end of the year.
This change is expected to benefit patients travelling from outer islands, as they will be able to plan visits based on scheduled appointments.
Haleem also pointed out that a large number of patients attempt to make appointments without going through a proper referral. To address this, a system is being developed to allow direct referrals to specialists through general practitioners (GPs). He said this is one of the objectives behind introducing GP clinics in the Male’ region.
“With the GP clinic, a patient will be referred to a specialist and can obtain an appointment directly through the clinic,” he explained.
To manage high demand, outpatient departments (OPDs) in some of the busiest specialities are now operating at night as well.
Dr Mahir added that self-referrals, where patients visit specialists without direction, contribute to long queues and reduce access for patients with more urgent medical needs. “A referral-based system, starting from island-level clinics, will help identify the appropriate specialist and reduce unnecessary appointments,” he said.
As part of broader efforts, the hospital group is working with the Ministry of Health to streamline services for patients referred from atoll hospitals. Under the new approach, atoll hospitals will identify the required specialist and coordinate appointments in advance. Initial implementation has started with Faafu Atoll Hospital and HDh. Kulhudhuffushi.
Officials said these efforts are aimed at reducing delays, ensuring appropriate medical referrals, and improving access to specialist care, particularly for patients from outer islands.
