United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Maldives has presented the Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services and Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) with digital equipment to help maintain uninterrupted provision of social services to the public amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
The equipment was handed over to the gender ministry and IGMH by Resident Representative of UNDP Akiko Fujii. UNDP said the equipment was presented as part of ongoing efforts to ensure vulnerable populations continue access to critical services amid the global pandemic.
In a press statement, UNDP said the digital equipment provided will help the gender ministry to establish the care portal that will be used to provide services to people in need. UNDP said the support also aims to assist the Centre for Mental Health at IGMH, set up for reporting of social issues and protection issues by vulnerable groups, and will contribute to transform business processes that were disrupted due to the COVID-19 crisis.
The gender ministry stated the digital support can help its call centre in providing uninterrupted services and support to the victims of domestic violence and gender-based violence, persons with disabilities, elderly and others facing social issues. Meanwhile, the Centre for Mental Health at IGMH stated digitalisation of its services will benefit not only Male’, but vulnerable populations living across the country.
Speaking at the handover ceremony, Resident Representative Akiko Fujii said working remotely has become a necessity for governments and service providers to continue operating whilst complying with health guidelines to curb the spread of COVID-19. She said UNDP pays special attention to the benefits of innovation and digital disruption in this challenging time, adding the handover of digital equipment forms part of the overall UNDP business continuity initiative, which is supporting public institutions transition to a virtual operating environment in order to continue providing essential services to those who need it the most.
The digitalisation items were supplied as part of UNDP’s COVID-19 Integrated Response Offer 1.0, which supports the health emergency measures as well as longer-term socio-economic recovery. Under its integrated governance support, UNDP works closely with the gender ministry to promote women’s leadership in both political and economic spheres, while enhancing their access to justice and legal aid and prevent gender based violence.