Foundation stone laid for new USD 5 million drug rehabilitation centre in Himmafushi

The foundation stone for the new building of the Drug Treatment and Rehabilitation Center in K.Himmafushi was laid on Thursday.

The project, implemented by Encore Holdings Pvt Ltd, is valued at USD 5 million and is designed with a 50-year service life.

The foundation stone was laid by Internal Security, Labor and Technical Minister Ali Ihusaan, State Minister and NDA Board Chairman Ahmed Siddiq, Encore Holdings Pvt Ltd Managing Director Saheen Adam, and Hura constituency MP Anara Naeem.

NDA Acting CEO Mohamed Rasheed, Himmafushi Council President Hassan Faiz, and senior NDA officials also attended the ceremony.

ހިންމަފުށީގައި ޤާއިމްކުރާ ޑްރަގް ރިހެބިލިޓޭޝަން ސެންޓަރުގެ އައު އިމާރާތުގެ ބިންގާއަޅައިފި. މި ސެންޓަރުގެ ބިންގާއަަޅުއްވައިދެއްވީ، ދާޚިލީ ސަލާމަތާއި މަސައްކަތްތެރިކަމާއި ފަންނިއްޔާތާބެހޭ ވަޒީރު ޢަލީ އިޙްސާން އާއި ދާޚިލީ ވުޒާރާގެ ސްޓޭޓް މިނިސްޓަރ އަދި އެންޑީއޭގެ ބޯޑުގެ ޗެއާޕާސަން… pic.twitter.com/LbCGSWFiEk

— Ministry of Homeland Security, Labour & Technology (@HomeMinistrymv) September 24, 2026

The new centre, which will be developed on the vacant land of the existing rehabilitation facility, will provide all essential services required for drug treatment. The building will also include a health facility, skill-development services, and counseling programs for the people of Himmafushi.

Speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony, Minister Ihusaan said that compared to the prevalence of drugs in the Maldives, relatively few people receive treatment. He said the new facility will enable the provision of quality rehabilitation services for those seeking to recover from addiction.

“President Dr Mohamed Muizzu gives very special priority to preventing drugs. This network was formulated with the direct instruction of the President,” he said.

The Minister noted that while the existing Himmafushi building has a capacity of 174 people, structural deterioration means only around 80 can currently be treated there.

He also thanked the employees of the Himmafushi Council for their efforts in facilitating the project.

Earlier, at a ceremony held on June 16 to hand over certificates to participants who completed Drug Court-mandated treatment, Minister Ihusaan announced that construction of a large rehabilitation centre in Himmafushi would begin in July. He said the existing facilities were not providing the level of treatment required.

The Himmafushi Drug Rehabilitation Center, operated by the National Drug Agency (NDA) since 1997, is one of the largest residential rehabilitation centres in the Maldives. Its main services include residential treatment, counseling, and a range of reintegration programs to support recovery.

The Maldives officially recognized drug addiction as a treatable medical condition and chronic brain disease in 2011 with the enactment of the Drug Act (Act No. 17/2011). The law shifted the country from a punitive model to a public-health-centered framework, establishing the NDA and the Drug Court to divert drug-dependent individuals into treatment, medically supervised detoxification, and long-term rehabilitation instead of traditional criminal sentencing.