Gender Disparity in Heart Surgeries Highlighted in Health Data

Men underwent significantly more cardiovascular surgeries than women in both 2022 and 2023, according to data released by the Ministry of Health.

In 2023, a total of 20,593 surgeries were performed in Maldives. This is an increase of 1,221 surgeries in Maldives performed in 2022, with total surgeries at 19,732. The split between gender of total surgeries is almost equal in both years. The data shared by the ministry includes surgeries performed in public hospitals, health centres, and private hospitals. 

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According to the ministry, 76 percent of all cardiovascular surgeries performed in 2023 were on men. This is a one percent increase from 2022. The ministry said 90 percent of the cardiovascular surgeries in Maldives were performed in public health facilities in 2023. This is a decrease of five percent for the same in 2022.

Our 2022-2023 surgery data is now available!
Explore the details now! 👇#HealthInformation #HealthStatisticshttps://t.co/dDDbg00nqX pic.twitter.com/yHLZkTDHAf— Ministry of Health (@MoHmv) January 6, 2025

Men got more surgeries in almost all fields in both years except for dental and pulmonology in 2023 and ophthalmic, dental and gastrointestinal in 2022. 

Zero surgeries were done in Vaavu atoll in both 2023 and 2022.

The Greater Male Area led the surgery by locality in both years, with 78 percent (16,163 surgeries) of the total surgeries being done in the Male area in 2023 and 82 percent (16,089 surgeries) in 2022.

Seenu atoll lead the most amount of surgeries performed outside of the Greater Male’ Area in 2023 with 1,031 surgeries, while Haa Dhaalu atoll performed the most surgeries out of the Male’ area in 2022 with 818 surgeries. 

In both years, over 85 percent of the neuro-surgeries were done in private hospitals.