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Sunday 17 Nov 2024
LOCAL EDITION
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LOCAL EDITION
Health Ministry has said that they will commence a project to build a Hospital with the capacity of 100 beds in Addu City this year.
Speaking to the media following the ‘planning retreat’ organized by the Ministry to discuss last year's achievements and the future goals for the health sector, the Ministry’s Director General of Health Services Dr. Sheeza Ali said that apart from the PSIP projects, there are a few project planned to be conducted with the help of international aid this year.
“One thing we are working on right now is to establish a 100 bed Hospital in Addu atoll. The funds have been approved, but a lot of work needs to be done before the project can begin. We are now working on that,” Dr. Sheeza said.
Health Ministry said that the Addu City Hospital project is to be carried out with financial support from the Saudi Fund and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID).
They said the project cannot begin before some conditions proposed by the Saudi Fund and OFID are met, and said that it might be a few months before the project begins.
“They have a few requirements. For example, that at least 6 parties have to apply if we open the project for bidding. Because Maldives is small, no bid is contested by 6 parties. There are certain difficulties like that,” Sheeza said.
In addition to the Addu City hospital project, health sector projects for this year include; the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital’s (IGMH) 11 story building project, establishing a quarantine facility in Hulhumale’, building a hospital in Raa Ungoofaaru, establishing an Urban Healthcare Centre in Male’, building a maternity waiting home in Kulhudhufushi, and establishing a number of intensive care units for infants.
The IGMH 11 story building project and Ungoofaaru hospital projects are already underway.
The international standard quarantine facility planned to be built in Hulhumale’ is to be carried out with the financial aid from the International Development Bank.
