Maldives tasks Spanish company to develop hospitals in south

Health ministry on Monday announced a preliminary agreement with a Spanish company to construct a new hospital in Gadhdhoo of Gaafu Dhaal Atoll as well as to develop the hospital in Gan of Laamu Atoll to a tertiary level. 

The ministry said on Twitter that an MoU has been signed with HOMT España, which has completed large-scale infrastructure projects for governments and private companies. 

Without providing further details, the ministry said these are projects that will ensure important health services in the atolls.

Developing tertiary level hospitals in five regions of the country is an important pledge of the government to improve health services in the islands, and support decentralisation. Tertiary hospitals can offer a level of health care obtained from specialists after referral from the providers of primary care. It will have specialised centres such as paediatric centres, oncology centres and psychiatric hospitals.

The government has already announced that hospitals will be built in the outer islands. Health minister Ahmed Naseem has previously said that work on all the hospitals will begin this year.

There has been a long-time lack of adequate health services in the atolls. A motion was submitted to the parliament this year calling on the government to improve the quality and management of Gan Regional Hospital, which is now being handed over to a Spanish company for tertiary development.