Ministry of Health has stated it is training medical officers to provide mental health services in the atolls.
The health ministry has been making efforts to establish facilities at five regional hospitals to provide mental health services, including Addu City Equatorial Hospital and Kulhudhuffushi Regional Hospital. The ministry stated the five regions will have teams of mental health professionals including psychiatrists, psychologists, psychotherapists, social counsellors, and psychiatric nurses. Additionally, outpatient services and counseling-level services will also be established for the regions.
The health ministry stated mental health services will continue to expand to the islands based on the local population and that medical officers with mental health training will be available in the islands that do not have access to mental health services. It stated that the aim is to train all professionals working in primary healthcare.
The prevalence of mental illnesses increased in the Maldives amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the government has been working to provide mental health treatment for the past three years. The government has been training Maldivians to provide mental health services to reduce the expenditure on having to recruit professionals from abroad.