Hithadhoo Regional Hospital to be put out of service

President’s Office, on Monday, informed the Health Ministry of its decision to put the Hithadhoo Regional Hospital out of service.

According to the letter from the President’s Office, which was addressed to Health Minister Abdulla Ameen, the decision to put Hithadhoo Regional Hospital out of service follows the impending opening of the Addu Equatorial Hospital, a tertiary hospital built in the city.

The President’s Office has made the decision to transfer all existing services at the Hithadhoo Regional Hospital to the Addu Equatorial Hospital, along with all its employees, assets and resources.

The President’s Office has instructed Minister Ameen to oversee all the necessary arrangements associated with the change in collaboration with relevant institutions.

Health Ministry had previously planned to inaugurate OPD services and several diagnostic services including laboratory, radiology, CT scan, x-ray, mammogram and bone density metric services at the Addu Equatorial Hospital on December 15. However, the inauguration of the services was postponed indefinitely due to failure in setting up the arrangements in time.

The project to convert the Addu Convention Center to the 100-bed Addu Equatorial Hospital was contracted to Alia Construction in November 2016. The contractor completed the project and handed it over to the government in September.

Health Ministry had previously planned to continue select services - including in-patient services, emergency surgeries, and obstetrics services – at the Hithadhoo Regional Hospital despite the opening of the Addu Equatorial Hospital.

Health Ministry has already hired 25 specialist doctors, 11, medical officers and 73 nurses to the staff of the Addu Equatorial Hospital, and posted vacancy announcements for 10 more nurses, two permanent pharmacists and two temporary pharmacists this December.