The government has inaugurated an Emergency and Trauma Unit at the health centre in Dharavandhoo, Baa Atoll.
The Emergency and Trauma Unit was developed with grant assistance from the government of India. The unit was inaugurated by Minister of Gender, Family and Social Services Aishath Mohamed Didi and by the High Commissioner of India to the Maldives Munu Mahawar. The ceremony also saw the attendance of Minister of Health Ahmed Naseem.
Speaking at the ceremony, Minister Aishath said that the emergency unit is not only for victims who suffered injuries from dangerous incidents but also for the victims of sexual and physical abuse. Therefore, she said there are important instances to look at when providing services to such patients.
Furthermore, Minister Naseem said the health care system in Male' City and the atolls should not be developed for political gains, but health services are a basic essential service to be provided to the public equally. He said the government will not take into account how large the population on an island is when providing services. As such, he said health services should always be expanding and should not be temporary.
Meanwhile, High Commissioner Mahawar said the relationship between the Maldives and India is a long-standing one. He said the area given the most priority in the efforts to maintain the relationship is the development of health care and human resources.
The two-storey emergency unit has 10 beds for emergency treatment with a special emergency ward, a patient room, and a nursing station. Additionally, a solar panel system that can generate 20KW of electricity has been installed on the roof of the building as well.
The project was funded from the grant assistance of USD6.9 million pledged to the Maldives during the visit of the Minister of External Affairs of India Dr. S. Jaishankar in March 2019. The aim of the grant assistance is to conduct socio-economic development projects across the country.