In a significant step to enhance emergency medical services for the northern region, the Kulhudhuffushi Regional Hospital (KRH) will inaugurate its new temporary Emergency Room within the next two days.
This move is a crucial interim measure to facilitate the construction of a permanent, state-of-the-art ER building on the hospital grounds.
The current emergency room operates from a ward inside the main hospital building, a layout that has long posed challenges for swift patient admission and the immediate commencement of critical treatment. The newly established temporary ER is strategically designed to overcome this hurdle, allowing ambulances direct access to its entrance. Located adjacent to the Saturday market, this new facility is expected to dramatically speed up emergency response times and streamline service delivery for medical staff.
Final preparations are currently underway to transition patient care to the new structure, which is equipped with six beds. Workers are completing the installation of a dedicated nurse station and essential patient care facilities to ensure full operational capability from day one.
As a tertiary-level hospital under government development, the Kulhudhuffushi facility is a vital lifeline for residents of Haa Dhaalu Atoll and neighboring atolls. The high demand for its services is clear—-in the first three months of this year alone, its ER treated 1,679 patients, following a total of 6,591 treatments throughout the previous year.
The upcoming permanent ER, a 13,500-square-foot building, represents the future of emergency care for the region. The hospital confirmed that the project has now been awarded to a contractor, with work set to begin imminently.
This development is part of a broader expansion initiative that also includes upgrading the dialysis unit from four to fourteen beds and constructing a new isolation facility featuring fourteen private rooms, marking a substantial leap forward in healthcare capacity for the North.