Government seeks to develop multi specialty hospital in Hulhumale

Ministry of Economic Development has announced for parties interested in developing a multi specialty hospital in the reclaimed island of Hulhumale’.

Speaking at a press conference in the President’s Office today, Economic Minister Mohamed Saeed said that the government has set a high priority for establishing quality health care centers in Hulhumale’. The deadline for the multi specialty hospital project is 10 February 2014, he said.

Government is seeking for a company to design, finance, construct and manage a 337-bed hospital in Hulhumale' on a public-private partnership basis, on a 35-year contract. As equity, the government plans to hand over a plot from Hulhumale’ and is also willing to grant the party that takes up the project, the rights to conduct private clinics, provide insurance and sell medication from the hospital.

“We are trying to establish a hospital that will also attract patients from overseas. If we can successfully conclude this project, the number of Maldivians going abroad for medicals will reduce significantly,” Minister Saeed said.

Speaking at the press conference, Health Minister Dr Mariyam Shakeela said the ministry plans to restrict 28 of the 337 beds for the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

“Our purpose is to solve the issues facing IGMH (Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital). We want to develop a multi specialty hospital that can treat numerous types of diseases. Through this, we hope it gets accepted amongst foreigners too,” Dr Shakeela said.

Government has had plans to constrict a super specialty hospital in Hulhumale’ since 2004. The project was discussed by the National Planning Council in 2009 and was opened for bidding earlier this year. However, the bid was cancelled over lack of interested parties.

Economic Minister said that with new stability, investor confidence in the Maldives is increasing dramatically and that the government hopes to make this project a success.

Health Minister said that through this project, government will make every effort to establish a world-class health care center in the Maldives.