Minister of Health, Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim has stated that the current administration is implementing development projects for the health sector at an unprecedented scale, unmatched by any previous administration.
Speaking during a press conference held at the President’s Office, the Minister stated many endeavors are being carried out by the administration for healthcare expansion across the nation. In this regard, the minister stressed the need to alleviate the overdependency on the capital to meet citizens healthcare needs and said that many of the development works are being centered towards the progress and expansion of facilities in different regions of the country.
Minister Nazim highlighted the importance of having a well-rounded healthcare system in place and pointed out that in the health sector, every department must work in tandem with one another, and that each project is interlinked to one another.
The minister said that since President Dr Mohamed Muizzu took office, the scale of infrastructural projects in the health sector has reached new levels. He said that during the President’s outreach to all the islands, he closely observed the depreciating conditions of the health infrastructure and acted by launching large scale nationwide infrastructural upgrades on existing healthcare facilities.
Unpacking the minister’s comments, currently 39 projects are being carried out to develop new hospitals. 19 new health centers are being developed while simultaneously upgrades and extensions are being carried out at 89 health centers. Among these 12 projects have finished to completion, while 22 projects are in the planning stage. The planned work includes the building of 8 new hospitals and 5 new health centers. And nine extension or upgrade works are also included among the planned projects.