Foreign doctors and nurses working at Thaa Atoll Hospital on Veymandoo in Thaa Atoll have declared themselves on strike over visa issues they say are preventing them from leaving the country.
Head of Thaa Atoll Hospital, Midhath Nasir, told Minivan News that expat doctors and nurses have complained that their visas have not been renewed accordingly and that they have had difficulties in leaving the country in emergency situations.
“All the expat doctors and nurses have stopped work and all the patients that came today had to go home without receiving any services,” Nasir said, but added that there were no patients currently admitted to the hospital in a critical condition.
A technician working in the laboratory of the hospital recently needed to urgently return to his home country, Nasir said, but was unable to do so because of the visa renewal issue.
“His visa was not renewed and because he had an expired visa, he could not make there on time,” Nasir said.
Nasir said that he had requested the doctors and nurses make a list of issues and hand it over to him so that he could forward it to the Health Corporation.
“I do not know what other issues they have, after I get the list I will know,” he said. “All the nurses and doctors currently working in the hospital are expats.”
Minivan News requested a contact number for one of the striking staff, but Nasir said he did not have the contact number of any doctor or nurse working at the hospital.
Meanwhile local newspaper Haveeru reported that more than 25 expats working at the hospital had met with the atoll council and complained about their issues.
The paper reported that head of the Atoll Council, Abdulla Shareef, had told the paper that the Health Corporation was counting staff vacation days in contradiction to how their contracts required the days to be counted, as the days staff had spend in the Maldives waiting for their visas to be renewed were being deducted from their vacation allowance.
Doctors and nurses told the council that in some cases their vacation days were all but over by the time they reached their home country.
Shareef also told the paper that the hospital was using expired medicines imported during 2004 tsunami, and that doctors were being blamed for not having enough medicine in the hospital.
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Big shame for Maldivians!!! just morality is not exist in Maldives/ people step by step return to wild era
The solution to most of these problems is to train your own Maldivian doctors and nurses,and then demand your government pays the correct salary so as the doctors/nurses will stay in the Maldives .
I think the problems are with that of our public service sector, in particular the atolls are not competitive and are not fit for the jobs. This workforce is an inherited liability to the government! It takes time to rectify these sorts of sort comings.
Maldivian Nurses are boasting them selves that they have trained plenty of nurses and they don't want foreigners to work in their soil let the go and work now in veymandoo and other islands. most of the nurses who got graduation are working as receptionist even in small clinic.
Its a shame for Maldives the way they treat Indian Doctors , lab technicians and staff nurses of Thaa Atoll Hospital on Veymandoo . Its totally injustice and discremenation act commited from the Atol management . How can a individial work without visa , how can expired medicines be use ??? Its a big question towards the management of Atoll hospital???
requirement of expats are very reasonable. Authority should work out on urgent basis how they can solve this issue
the requirement of indian doctors and staff nurses of Thaa Atoll Hospital are reasonable . The authority should work out urgently to solve this big issue of injustice todays expats on top priority and should give them justice...
Atrocities against Indians are increasing day by day in the Maldives... A lot of expatriates come into Maldives to deliver most needed services forgetting all their loved ones behind in their own countries. the local people should realize the sacrifice made in exchange for a salary which also has lost its face value...
There is no chance for expats to voice their problems... we are left with no choice but obey the orders..total dictatorship..no democracy...
But how long? how long anyone is going to take this erratic, indisciplined, dictatorial system?
Its high time that Indian media should take initiative to bring about a proper political corrective measures or at least allow people to know of such working conditions before they land here.
But something must happen in some way... either someone does something about it or we ourselves must...no other go...
Authorities need to solve this issue as soon as possible , its time to react on injustice for the safety of todays expats and the new comers.....
I worked at the Thaa Hospital in 2007-08 as a Pediatrician.
There was a different govt which people though happy were seeking change as the dictator had ruled for 30 years already.
I never faced any problem with the Maldives people of the Island back or elsewhere back then.
I now hear that things have changed, the Democratic govt failed, currency devalued, Hospitals privatised etc.
Anyways the Islands are low lying and there is a risk from nature of submersion.
Maldives is not a place to settle down for non nationals like Indians.
Indian Doctors and skilled staff can make at least 3 times that money in UAE and other places.
Even India can give you 2 times that money.