Five Covid-19 patients transferred to Tree Top Hospital

Authorities have transferred five Covid-19 patients admitted at Dharumavantha Hospital to Tree Top Hospital established in Hulhumalé for treatment.

Speaking to press on Saturday afternoon, CEO of Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), Ibrahim Saleem revealed that Tree Top Hosptial has officially been assigned as the national Covid-19 treatment center in the Maldives, under an agreement with the government.

Earlier, the country’s Covid-19 spokesperson, Mohamed Mabrook Aziz had also asserted that the Covid-19 situation in the country has reached a point where Tree Top Hospital was required to be activated. As such, Mabrook earlier revealed that the patients receiving treatment for a number of ailments at Tree Top are to be transferred to IGMH while Covid-19 patients will be moved to Tree Top.

Although the hospital’s services have been temporarily ceased under the circumstances effective May 6 to transform it into the primary national Covid-19 treatment center, the shareholders of the hospital will be covering a majority of expenses which is estimated to be MVR 20 million per month, which is inclusive of staff salaries, said the hospital’s CEO, David Feinberg.

Frontline workers are entitled to hazardous pay and 10% of their salaries. They are also entitled to sick leaves during this period. A financial compensation scheme has also been established for any staff fatalities, said CEO David.

However, additional resources will be provided by the government, this includes medical equipment, consumables and pharmaceuticals that are required in the treatment of Covid-19.

The directors thanked the customers of the hospital for their patience and understanding during this period, said David.

Tree Top Hospital signed an agreement with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to offer the establishment to the government as the designated Covid-19 facility for a period of three months, on April 26.