President gives hope of decentralized healthcare

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has stated that he will decentralize the healthcare system across different regions in the Maldives. 

Delivering his presidential address at the inaugural sitting of the first session of the parliament for the prevailing year, President Solih said that many issues stem from centralized healthcare at present, for which the solution is the development of tertiary hospitals in different Maldivian regions. 

“The list of developments brought to Kulhudhuffushi tertiary hospital alone is lengthy. The hospital has started modern health services. Services such as MRI, knee replacement surgery, laparoscopic surgery, and mammography among others are presently available at the hospital,” he said.

Citing these efforts cannot be limited to just Kulhudhuffushi Hospital or Addu Hospital - the President said that development of tertiary hospitals at GDh. Thinadhoo, L. Gan, and R. Ungoofaaru are underway in efforts to provide true tertiary healthcare services.

He also pledged to develop hospitals with a capacity of 30 beds on 12 islands and hospitals with a capacity of 50 beds on six islands.

“The plans the government has for the healthcare sector will be achieved through these hospitals,” he said.

He further said that mental health services have been established in five areas of the Maldives in this administration while child development units have been developed in Addu and Male’ where services have commenced. 

According to him, the government plans to widen the healthcare sector and minimize the obstacles faced by the public in accessing quality healthcare by way of decentralization. In this trajectory, they plan to develop further tertiary hospitals. 

Decentralization is an important pledge of the current administration which follows a policy of vesting powers in local councils for the governance of atolls and islands.