Covid-19: MP seeks to question Minister Ameen on ventilator shipment

South-Machchangolhi MP Haitham Ahmed has sought from the People’s Majlis to question Minister of Health Abdulla Ameen regarding the ventilators the government is expecting to receive.

This was done via a letter addressed to parliament speaker Mohamed Nasheed by the MP on Thursday, through which he posed 10 questions.

On 6 April, minister Ameen had revealed that the government is expecting to receive a shipment of ventilators within the past week. Speaking during the routinely press conferences held by the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC), Ameen revealed that the new ventilators were expected to arrive on Thursday.

As such, MP Haitham has sought from the speaker to summon the minister for questioning regarding the ventilators. He is seeking to ask the minister on the updates and process of bringing in the ventilators and the reason why the ventilators have not arrived yet.

As some of the patients who suffer from the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic more severely and are required to be put on ventilators, the government earlier revealed that they are working to bring more as the pandemic spreads. Mabrook Aziz revealed to press earlier that currently, there are only 97 operational ventilators in the Maldives currently. These ventilators are being used in various hospitals, both private and state-owned, across several outlying atolls and the capital.

Further, Mabrook added that the government is working to bring in 70 more ventilators from abroad. The spokesperson said that they will be brought by the time work on the facility being established in Hulhumalé concludes.