Maldivian government has allocated MVR 5 billion this year to enhance public health infrastructure and services across the country, Health Minister Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim announced, reaffirming the administration’s commitment to decentralizing the health system and improving service delivery in the atolls.

Speaking about the plan, the minister said the initiative aims to reduce dependency on Malé by developing healthcare capacity in regional and island-level hospitals. 

The project will include upgrading seven main hospitals in key urban centers, as well as modernizing multiple regional hospitals and health centers throughout the Maldives.

Minister Nazim identified limited building availability as one of the primary challenges in expanding healthcare infrastructure. 

To address this, the government intends to develop or upgrade around 160 health facilities nationwide, focusing on essential infrastructure, equipment, and service readiness.

As part of the initiative, plans are in place to construct about 30 new hospitals and build more than 20 new health centers, alongside 90 health-center expansion projects and 22 additional development initiatives that are set to commence this year.

To support the expanded network, the Health Ministry will hire over 700 new healthcare professionals for atoll-based facilities, including doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, attendants, customer-service personnel, and drivers. In addition, around 1,000 staff members have recently been added to the health workforce in Malé.

Several key regional hospitals including Kulhudhuffushi, Ungoofaaru, Gan, Dr. Abdul Samad Memorial, and Fuvahmulah hospitals will be upgraded to tertiary-level institutions, offering sub-specialty care, MRI and CT scan services, blood bank and laboratory facilities, and expanded bed capacity of up to 100 beds each.

A total of MVR 8.8 billion has been earmarked this year for developing healthcare services and infrastructure, a major investment towards building a more accessible and equitable health system across the Maldives.