Imagine you living in remote island in the Maldives, barely earning an income of MVR 5000 / m.
Your child falls ill, and the only Health Center in the island does not have a specialist, or a Dr qualified or confident enough, or equipped to treat or do investigations.
Your child falls ill, and the only Health Center in the island does not have a specialist, or a Dr qualified or confident enough, or equipped to treat or do investigations.
The case is referred to the nearest Regional Hospital (RH).
Depending on the distance, sometimes it costs about MVR 1000 - 2500 to travel to these RHs from most islands. When you are in another island, you need to manage your food and accommodation.
Depending on the distance, sometimes it costs about MVR 1000 - 2500 to travel to these RHs from most islands. When you are in another island, you need to manage your food and accommodation.
And most often than never, the RHs are never staffed with the right specialists, or equipment or investigative instruments or technicians and they are referred to the next RH or to Male.
Further travel costs, eventually to Male from some regions cost as much as MVR 3000/ person
Further travel costs, eventually to Male from some regions cost as much as MVR 3000/ person
Come to Male, request for Specialist appointments, do not want to wait and then you end up showing at expensive medical clinics with MVR 500 consultations, expensive investigations. Lodge at guest houses and manage food and other costs.
How much do you think this endeavor costs? Does the people who promoted an ovarian cyst removal PR believe these RHs are up to par? And Orthopedic surgery PR with equipment borrowed from a Male hospital, just for PR? This deceptive perception of Decentralized healthcare is sad.
People are spending more than what they earn, and in huge debts before they have paid off the previous one, just because they do not have accessible and decent medical care in their regions. There is a great inequality here.
And this difference in services between the centralized Male and the regions is nothing but the gravest of injustices so far. On top of this, the top officials are furthering in their centralization projects and Majlis is applauding it, and rubber stamping it.
What will lead to decentralization? At this rate, nothing short of a real revolution of those oppressed can change anything. This nation will see revolution, if not today, soon. The political corrupt criminals will see what they have created today.
