Right to Sexual and Reproductive Health Education 2016
“If a good doctor is ever assigned to an island the authorities
will find one way or another to take that doctor away to a
bigger island.”51
Regarding SRH services offered in these centers, a majority of the participants
remained unhappy about the quality of the services and facilities available in
Maldives. Participants stated that there was a general mistrust towards
doctors and their qualification based on highly publicized accidental deaths of
pregnant women and babies under their care during the past few years.
Participants also expressed feelings of mistrust towards the hospitals, and
their general facilities. This issue was mainly raised by the participants from
the islands, stating that they do not have easy access to a Gynaecologist or a
Paediatrician during child birth. In most cases, pregnant women had to travel
to Male’ or, to the capital island of that atoll, if they had a Gynaecologist.
Participants complained about the lack of assistance from the General
Physicians and nurses at the health centers in giving them information
regarding SRH issues. They explained that most were uncooperative or had
little knowledge regarding these issues. Due to this it was discussed that
families often have, to save a lot of money for travel, rent, medical treatment
and the whole child birth process months ahead of the due date.
Respondents noted that traveling to other islands or Male’ for such cases is a
huge burden especially for those who cannot afford it. Given the higher
accommodation costs in the capital city Male’, many stated that it was not
something that everyone can do. In those cases, where the family or the
women had no means to travel to where facilities were made available, it was
explained that they had to give birth in the health centers with the assistance
of unskilled nurses and midwives who not only lacked the experience or the
51
Parent FGDs
71
THEMATIC ANALYSIS