The government will fund the construction of a dedicated mental health hospital in Malé from the state budget, President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has announced.
Speaking at a press conference, the President said the decision was taken in response to the growing number of people requiring mental health support and the need to provide timely services.
Earlier, the government has announced plans to develop a mental health facility in Gan, Laamu Atoll. President Muizzu revealed in addition to this hospital under development, another dedicated hospital will be developed in Male' from the State Budget.
The President explained that an earlier plan to develop a mental health facility in Gan, Laamu Atoll with foreign loan assistance had faced delays due to lengthy procedures. As a result, the government has opted to prioritise a hospital in Malé using domestic funding.
“We have done a lot of work to facilitate this through foreign loans. However, because the procedures are still lengthy and the project is being delayed as we have not been able to begin without finalising the loan, and since this has become a major issue in the Maldives requiring additional support, we have now consulted and decided to build the mental health facility or hospital directly through the government budget,” President Mohamed Muizzu said.
The President clarified that the new hospital in Malé will not replace the proposed facility in Gan, Laamu Atoll. The Gan project remains under consideration pending the required financing.
He added that land has already been secured in Malé for the new hospital, with plans based on a similar scale to the Gan project, which was designed for a 14,000-square-foot site at an estimated cost of USD 18 million.
The President also highlighted recent progress in mental health services through the national health insurance scheme, Aasandha. He said that between 1 January and 23 April, a total of 10,954 individuals received psychiatric consultations and psychological therapy under the programme. He noted that efforts are also ongoing to expand mental health services across the atolls to improve accessibility nationwide.