Maldives and China have signed an agreement to initiate the detailed design phase of the Vilimale’ China-Maldives Friendship Hospital Project.
The letter of exchange was signed at an official ceremony held at Dharumavantha Hospital by the Minister of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure, Dr Abdulla Muththalib, and the Ambassador of China to the Maldives, Kong Xianhua.
The Minister of Health, Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim, also attended the ceremony, along with senior government officials and representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Male’.
The feasibility study for the 112-bed capacity hospital has been completed, and the letter of exchange signing marks the official commencement of the project's detailed design phase, the Ministry of Construction, Housing and Infrastructure said.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Dr Muththalib said the detailed design work of the hospital will commence very soon in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Construction, the Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) and a special Chinese team of experts.
"As soon as the design is completed, a contractor will be selected and the project will start. We hope to get the project off the ground early next year," he said.
The Minister said the development of a hospital in Villimale’ would further expand health services in the Male’ area and would add to the facilities available to the people in the capital region.
“Hopefully, when this project is completed, it will not only benefit the people of Villimale’, but also the people of the entire Male’ area as the whole capital region is connected,” he said.
The existing hospital in Villimale does not have the facilities to provide services to its 15,000 resident population. The hospital has three rooms for patients and five beds are currently used in the emergency room forcing residents to take the ferry over to IGMH or Dharumavantha Hospital.
The hospital, which will be developed with the assistance of the Chinese government, has been divided across two buildings. There will also be special beds for outpatient, inpatient, emergency, diagnostic, ICU and hemodialysis treatment.