DHAKA, March 15, 2020 (BSS) – Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has emphasized on coordinated approach to deal with the epidemic coronavirus (COVID-19), saying no country can deal with the situation alone.
“No country, on its own, can succeed in combating the virus. It requires a shared response at an unprecedented scale,” he said while addressing the virtual summit on combating coronavirus for his office in the Maldives this afternoon.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the initiative for the summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) leaders and moderated the conference.
Noting that the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in the Maldives on 7 March, the Maldivian president said, to date, there are 13 confirmed cases and fortunately no deaths.
Since January this year, the Maldives has been taking steps to get ready for a possible outbreak, Solih said, adding, “We set in place standard operational procedures and facilities for treatment and quarantine in various islands”.
“In the event of a major outbreak in the country, the health facilities of the Maldives will have to cope with the care needed for both our residents and the thousands of tourists who visit the country every year,” he said.
“Our priority now is to use precautionary measures to contain the virus as much as possible so as not to over burden our limited resources,” the president continued.
The unique geography of the Maldives will always present itself both as an opportunity as well as a challenge, he said, adding “The dispersed islands make it easier for us to isolate communities whenever there is a suspected case”.
He went on saying, “But, in the event that a person tests positive in the outer islands and is seriously ill, requiring specialist care, the person has to be transported to the capital Male. This is extremely costly and puts enormous pressure on an over-stretched team of healthcare workers. Our tertiary hospitals in the regions are currently under development”.
Describing the shortage of healthcare professionals in general and specialist doctors in particular, as always major challenges, Solih said in a crisis such as this, these challenges are several times greater.
Conveying appreciation to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people of India, he said “The Maldives is fortunate to have received generous assistance from India, and we have received medicine, and a visiting medical relief team, to work with Maldivian healthcare professionals”.
In the Maldives, the virus is showing, in the most destructive fashion, the country’s vulnerabilities to external shocks, the president said, adding tourist arrivals started to decline considerably several weeks before the first case was reported.
In February this year, arrivals declined by 14.3 percent. And in the first 10 days of this month, arrivals have already declined by 22.8 percent, he said, adding, “The decline in tourist arrivals has now become so sharp that if the current trend continues, we will have a 35 percent drop this year. Any significant decline in tourist arrivals has a ripple effect on the Maldives’ economy”.
Appreciating Prime Minister Modi’s proposal for formulating a comprehensive regional strategy to combat the COVID-19, he proposed for including the three key elements- creating space for closer cooperation between the health emergency agencies, formulating an economic relief package and a long-term recovery plan for the region – in the strategy.
He welcomed Modi’s proposals on preparation a longer time economic recovery and for creating a COVID-19 Emergency Fund.