Two government-owned companies have been awarded the contract to increase the space of three hospitals in the atolls to upgrade them to tertiary standard.
The government has decided to increase the space available at Ungoofaaru Regional Hospital, Lhaviyani Naifaru Hospital, and Gaafu Dhaalu Thinadhoo’s Abdul Samad Memorial Hospital.
At a ceremony held Wednesday, the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) was awarded the contract to complete the upgrade of Abdul Samad Memorial Hospital and Ungoofaaru Regional Hospital within 17 months. Meanwhile, the Road Development Corporation (RDC) was awarded the contract to upgrade Naifaru Hospital within one year.
The expansion of the three hospitals will cost a total of MVR 316 million. While MVR 161,245,343 will be spent on the Ungoofaaru Hospital, MVR 147,437,643 will be spent on the Thinadhoo Hospital. An additional MVR 7.7 million will be utilised on the development of the labor room complex and Intensive Care Unit at Naifaru Hospital.
Health Minister Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim said the hospitals will provide tertiary level services upon completion.
Director General of Health Sciences of Ministry of Health, Dr Ahmed Ashraf said the majority of people from the atolls currently travel to Male’ City for treatment for heart, kidney and neurological diseases. The tertiary level hospitals being built in the atolls will be built to provide these services, he said.