Madras, October 11: Fishing is their primary occupation and practically every one of them swims and dives. Their staple food is fish and rice. Occupational hazards, vitamin-deficient food and the inclement weather conditions add up to make the 1,25,000 people living in the Maldivian Archipelago “extremely prone to upper respiratory tract infections”. “I have never seen so many cases of chronic tonsillitis, adenoiditis and mastoiditis”, says Dr. S. Kameswaran, Director of the Institute of Otorhino-laryngology, Madras Medical College, who had been there on a short WHO assignment.
The first ENT expert ever to set foot on the soil of MALE, the capital-island of the Republic of Maldives, Dr. Kameswaran had been asked to conduct a sample survey of ENT diseases, hold special clinics, organise training course for health personnel and to assist and advise the Maldivian Government in setting up ENT units in health centres.
Of the 2,000 islands forming the archipelago, only 192 are permanently inhabited, the total land area being 115 square miles. Male Island, which has a population of 20,000, has a 52-bed modern hospital, with an operational theatre.
Published - October 12, 2026 03:20 am IST