Vice President Faisal Naseem has concluded his three-day visit to two States of India and returned to Malé. The Vice President travelled to India from 4-7 December, where he made stops in the Indian states Kerala and Karnataka.
The focus of the visit was bolstering existing people-to-people ties between the people of the two neighbouring nations, and to this end, the Vice President visited and met with top officials of several significant institutions in both states.
In Kerala, the Vice President visited NIMS Medicity, a popular medical facility for Maldivians, and toured the facilities and services available at the hospital. During the visit on Thursday, he also spoke with Faizal Khan, the Managing Director of NIMS and other top officials of the hospital.
The Vice President also visited the Consulate of the Maldives in Thiruvananthapuram. Speaking with the staff of the consulate, the Vice President expressed his gratitude for the exemplary services provided to Maldivian travellers by the team. He also met with the Maldivian community residing in Thiruvananthapuram and inquired about their livelihoods. During the meeting, the Vice President reaffirmed that the Administration would always treat all citizens as equals, regardless of their place of residence.
The next morning, the Vice President met with the management and staff of Blossoms Convalescent Centre in Bangalore, Karnataka. During the visit to the treatment centre for drug-dependent patients, the Vice President also had the pleasure of meeting several Maldivian nationals undergoing treatment at the facility and complimented their commitment to rehabilitation. Speaking at the centre, the Vice President emphasised the Administration’s firm stance on ensuring a drug-free state. Noting the contributions of Blossoms Convalescent Centre in the treatment of Maldivian nationals, he further urged for the continued support and cooperation in the Administration’s efforts to combat drug addiction.
In Karnataka, the Vice President also met with the top officials of India-based CARE Hospitals—Dr Raajiv Singhal, the Group CEO of CARE Hospitals; and, Rajeev Bal, the General Manager - International Marketing of Quality Care India. Discussions at the meeting were focused on avenues of cooperation to improve further healthcare services provided across the Maldives. During the talks, officials of CARE Hospital expressed their interest in assisting in fulfilling the Administration’s vision of ensuring enhanced healthcare services for all.
Friday night, the Vice President had the pleasure of meeting the Maldivian community residing in Bangalore and inquired about their wellbeing and their grievances. Speaking to them, he affirmed that significant progress would be made in the coming years in the Administration’s pledge to improve education and healthcare services across the country.
The Vice President concluded his visit to India and returned to Malé this evening. He was accompanied during the visit by Shidhatha Shareef, the Minister of Gender, Family and Social Services, and Abdulla Ameen, the Minister of Health.
