President Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom has sent condolences to the family of Dr. Abdulla AbdulHakeem upon his passing. Hailing the late Dr. AbdulHakeem as a dedicated medical professional and one who had made numerous and significant contributions to the Health Sector, the President in his message to the family stated that this was a great loss to the nation especially since he had touched many lives during his career.
Dr. Abdulla AbdulHakeem was the first Maldivian Doctor to have completed studies from abroad. Since he began his service on 18 April 1964, as a Doctor in the Government Hospital, he continued to serve in different areas of service to the Maldives. At the beginning of his career the main obstacle he faced in serving his patients was the lack of availability of medication for eye treatments and lack of adequate resources to perform eye surgeries. Thus, he served as a General Physician and began quarterly trips to different islands every year.
Some of his more notable services include the commencement of eye transplant surgeries in 1981 and his contributions, since 1983, as the head of the eye camps carried out by the Government in different areas of Maldives.
Dr. Abdulla AbdulHakeem, who passed away yesterday, had served the Government for 41 years and during this period filled various important positions in the state Hospital which include Registrar in Ophthalmology and Ophthalmological Consultant. He also served as a Medical Superintendent. When he retired on 14 January 2007, he was the Senior Medical Supervisor. Apart from serving the Government, Dr. Abdulla AbdulHakeem has served many other individuals through his private practice.
He was the Member of Parliament for the Faadhippolhu Constituency for 14 years and, in 2011, was awarded position of State Dignitary for his invaluable service to the state.