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Gov’t contracts to build Himmafushi health centre office building

Ministry of Health has contracted Unique Choice Private Limited to construct a new administrative building for the Himmafushi Health Centre.

Unique Choice is tasked with constructing the administrative building within five months at a cost of USD292,000 to solve the space constraints at the health centre in Himmafushi, Kaafu Atoll.

Himmafushi has a residential population of 1,500 and also has a thriving local tourism industry. The government has been making efforts to improve essential services such as healthcare in the island and accepted a USD174,200 grant from Japan to upgrade the health centre in November last year.

Under the project, Japan will provide financial assistance to develop new facilities with an emergency room, laboratory, X-ray room, and two rooms at the health centre. The new facilities are expected to increase the number of tests being conducted at the health centre as well as expand radiology services.

Health centers in the atolls were established in the early 2000s with a single building intended to house both health services and administrative functions. However, this combined design has led to space limitations and constraints for many of the health centers.