Vice President Faisal Naseem has urged the Ministry of Health to prioritise the recruitment of healthcare workers in preparation for the establishment of five tertiary hospitals across the country. He made the statement in a meeting held with senior officials of the Ministry of Health and representatives from the ministry's councils, to discuss the barriers to providing effective healthcare across the country and how to overcome them.
The meeting, which was held at the President’s Office on September 27, was attended by the Minister of Health, Ahmed Naseem, Minister of Higher Education Dr. Ibrahim Hassan, the Special Advisor on Social Policy at the President's Office Dr. Mustafa Lutfi and Minister of State for Health Dr. Shah Abdulla. In addition to this, several senior officials from the Medical Council, Nursing Council and Allied Health Council also joined the discussions.
Speaking at the meeting, the vice president urged that the recruitment of healthcare workers be prioritised in preparation for the establishment of five tertiary hospitals in the Maldives, which is currently underway. He revealed that the administration had recently begun programmes to develop additional human resources in healthcare, emphasising the importance of implementing mid-term and long-term development plans concurrently.
The council members primarily discussed the need for better budgeting for their activities, with all councils citing difficulties in obtaining staff. They also discussed administrative issues that arose while carrying out their responsibilities.
Further discussions at the meeting focused on a variety of pertinent topics, such as retaining healthcare workers and determining which students are interested in pursuing a medical career. They emphasised the importance of implementing such programmes beginning in elementary school to increase children's interest in the various fields of healthcare. They also discussed a number of other issues concerning the efficient operation of councils and the improvement of healthcare in the Maldives.