Maldives hospital reaches milestone with first bypass surgery

The nine-hour life-saving procedure was performed by a team led by Dr Mohamed Shafiu, the country’s first cardiothoracic and vascular surgeon, and Dr Ranjan Sapkota, a veteran Nepali surgeon.

The patient was a 54-year-old inmate at the Maafushi prison whose condition was found to be critical after he was admitted to the hospital.

It was performed at the ADK’s new cath lab, which opened in March with theatres dedicated to open heart surgery.

At a press briefing Wednesday night, the hospital’s managing director said 65 percent of the surgery’s cost would be borne by the government health insurance scheme. Tests needed prior to the procedure will be covered up to 75 percent, Ahmed Afaal said.

ADK’s prices are comparable to hospitals overseas, he said.

Medical treatment remains the top purpose of overseas travel for Maldivians. But the proportion of Maldivians travelling for medical services declined to 45 percent in 2017, the central bank’s annual survey found.

The Aasandha health insurance scheme covers travel abroad for patients with pre-approved cases.

Treatment for heart diseases became available at the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital’s new cath lab in July 2016. Angioplasty treatment for blocked vessels has since been provided at the government-owned hospital.

A bypass surgery, known as Coronary Artery Bypass Graft, is required in severe cases. The procedure involves taking a blood vessel or graft from elsewhere on the patient’s body and connecting it to the blocked coronary blood vessels, thereby bridging or bypassing the blocked part of the coronary artery.