"There are currently two doctors and seven nurses for every group of 1,000 Covid-19 patients"

There are currently two doctors and seven nurses for every group of 1,000 Covid-19 patients in the Maldives, reveals authorities.

Speaking at the routinely press briefing on Sunday night, the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC) spokesperson, Mohamed Mabrook Aziz revealed that the country will face a shortage of healthcare workers if the Covid-19 situation continues to worsen and authorities are unable to control it.

As such, Mabrook stressed that the number of doctors and nurses in the country will be insufficient if the curve is not flattened.

This number, he said, is not sufficient to treat a great number of patients if the country reaches its peak.

While the government is working to bring back the Maldivian doctors and medical students residing abroad, there are currently 900 doctors and 2,907 nurses in the country.

These evacuees are to coordinate with the medical teams after they complete the 14-day quarantine period upon arrival, said Mabrook.

Work is also underway to establish more ICU beds in the scatter of quarantine facilities established by the government across the island nation.

Mabrook revealed that there will be 2,000 beds and 77 beds for intensive care in quarantine.

It was earlier revealed that Maldivians stranded abroad will be returned to the country in accordance with space availability at quarantine facilities. Work is currently underway to establish more facilities, however, authorities are facing hindrances due to the shortage of healthcare workers.

As of Monday, there has been a total of 52 confirmed cases across the Maldives, with a record number being reported on Sunday, at 17. This was after clusters of community transmission began unfolding after the first local case emerged in Maldives capital, Malé City on Wednesday.