The Ministry of Health has announced that six new hospitals currently under construction in various atolls of the Maldives will be completed and opened to the public within the year, marking a significant milestone in the government’s nationwide healthcare transformation agenda.
Minister of State for Health, Ismail Shareef made the announcement during an episode of PSM News’ Presidential Address Podcast, emphasising that the next five years will witness an unprecedented infrastructure revolution in the country’s health system.
For decades, residents across the atolls have faced considerable challenges accessing medical care, often needing to travel to the capital, Male’, for even basic treatments—a journey that is both financially burdensome and logistically difficult.
To address this imbalance, the government is aggressively upgrading existing hospitals and health centres in the atolls and constructing new facilities to ensure equitable access to quality healthcare.
The new hospitals nearing completion are located in Hoarafushi (Haa Alifu Atoll), Kendhikulhudhoo, Dhuvaafaru, Raa Atoll, Thulhaadhoo (Baa Atoll), Hinnavaru (Lhaviyani Atoll), and Guraidhoo (Kaafu Atoll), with construction already underway on additional facilities in other regions.
State Minister Shareef highlighted that previous healthcare development in the Maldives has been reactive and piecemeal, lacking a long-term strategic framework.
The current administration is focusing on structural reform, aiming to decentralise medical services by developing seven regional urban centres across the country. As part of this vision, regional hospitals in these hubs are being upgraded to tertiary care level, capable of providing advanced medical services locally without requiring patient referrals to Male’.
This strategic shift is backed by a substantial allocation in this year’s national budget, reflecting the government’s commitment to strengthening primary, secondary, and tertiary care networks across the Maldives. The establishment of new General Practitioner clinics and expanded medical facilities in atoll communities is also progressing rapidly.