Inpatient care unit planned for the Centre for Mental Health will be operational in April - President

  • 41 new ambulances have been deployed to the islands
  • The government aims to re-establish decentralised primary healthcare system
  • The administration-established Centre for Mental Health has recorded a total of 41,890 consultations

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih on Thursday delivered the Presidential Address 2022 at the opening of the People’s Majlis for this year. Addressing the Members of Parliament, the President announced that the first 41 new ambulances had been deployed to islands as part of the government's initiative to provide ambulance services in 96 islands that lacked standardised ambulance operations. He went on to say that the government expects the remaining ambulances to arrive soon and hopes to dispatch them by the end of March.

The President stated that the government intended to re-establish the country's primary healthcare system in a more decentralised manner. He revealed that public healthcare portals had already been introduced to 58 islands. He also emphasised the numerous advancements being made in the healthcare system through the establishment of tertiary hospitals in five regions across the country. Elaborating the details, the President said that these hospitals had CT and Mobile Ultrasound Scanning, as well as a laboratory setup, and that M.R.I and cardiology services were available in the northern and southern regions of the Maldives. President Solih also stated that dental services had been established in all four hospitals, with the exception of Dr Abdul Samad Memorial Hospital, where the service will be implemented within the first three months of this year.

As part of the government's efforts to improve mental health services on the islands, President Solih said that psychiatric services are now available in five atolls. The administration-established Centre for Mental Health has recorded a total of 41,890 consultations to date. The President stated that the inpatient care unit planned for the centre will be operational in April.