President Dr Mohamed Waheed has called for increased local agricultural production to meet with the current challenges to food security and nutrition. He made this statement while addressing the people of Veymandoo of Thaa atoll.

Noting that Veymandoo was an exemplary island in this regard, President said the people of Veymandoo have shown that starchy staples and other food products could be grown in the country to meet local needs.

Highlighting the nutritional issues in the country, President Waheed noted that the Maldives faced many challenges in addressing those issues. He said over the past several years, considerable efforts were made to improve public health and that the work was overseeing by health workers in the island. However, he said, over the past three years, the government’s privatization policy has had a negative impact on the health sector as well.

President Waheed said the irresponsible interventions in the management of the health system such as assigning health workers under island councils had left health workers with no proper supervision. Moreover, he stressed the importance of health workers in tackling epidemics such as dengue fever.

In his speech, President Waheed also spoke on the challenges the government faced in sustainable financing of the universal health insurance scheme – Aasandha. He said the system was currently without adequate controls which has lead to possibilities for rampant corruption.

During his visit to Veymandoo, President Waheed also laid the foundation stone of Veymandoo preschool.