Contract signing for 7 island hospitals next week, pres says

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih announced on Thursday that agreements will be signed with contractors within the next week to build hospitals in seven islands of the Maldives.

The president made the remarks while speaking at a ceremony held on Thursday evening to celebrate World Health Day, which is marked on April 7.

The seven islands include:

"With the contractors selected for the work, we will sign an agreement in the coming week and hand over the work," he said.

President Solih highlighted the administration's response to the Covid-19 pandemic and its efforts to expand and enhance healthcare services nationwide.

Comparing the state of public health in the past with the present, the president said that communicable diseases were the leading causes of death in the past. He added that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) account for most deaths today and stressed the importance of researching to identify the reasons for the increase in NCDs.

The theme of World Health Day 2023 is "Health for All."

Shedding light on the theme, President Solih said that it aligned with the administration's efforts to revive primary healthcare.

He added that public health was at its peak when significant efforts were made to promote primary healthcare across the country.

President Solih also noted that WHO was marking its 75th anniversary this year and highlighted its significant role over the years in promoting healthcare and public health in the Maldives.

At the ceremony, Maimoona Aboobakuru, the Director General of the Health Protection Agency (HPA), presented a summary report of the administration's Covid-19 response to the president.