Vice President Faisal Naseem has inaugurated the Southern Child Development Centre in Addu City. The facility, the newest addition to Dhamana Veshi – the Urban Primary Health Centre in Addu City, is located in Maradhoofeydhoo Ward.
The Vice President’s virtual address at the function focused on early care, education and child development. He spoke extensively about the administration’s vision and delivery of much-needed healthcare sector improvements outside of the Greater Male’ Area, especially towards providing improved services and better care for children with disabilities.
Vice President stated President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih and his administration continue to make significant strides in health sector development across the country, referring to the administration’s pledge of decentralising healthcare services, followed by the continuing development of tertiary hospitals in five regions across the country. Noting some services which were previously inaccessible to a large percentage of the population, he described these achievements as revolutionary changes bringing much ease to the residents living in those regions.
The Vice President said the initiative has restructured the way people seek medical care across the country and cut down travel expenses on medical care. Emphasising President Solih’s determination and commitment to listen and address the public’s concerns, the Vice President went on to detail the administration’s vision of empowering local councils through decentralised governance and improving services in all sectors.
Speaking about the new centre, Vice President Faisal highlighted the importance of early detection, referral, investigation and diagnosis of children’s medical conditions, especially those with disabilities and special requirements. He then revealed plans to develop a similar facility in the north and spoke about expanding similar services across the country. He also talked about the government’s initiatives at capacity building in healthcare-related fields.
The Southern Child Development Centre, similar to the Child Development Centre in Hulhumale’ Hospital, would feature child-centred and family-focused services for children with developmental issues. It would offer comprehensive assessments, individualised programmes and follow-up services, including psychology, counselling, occupational therapy, physiotherapy, speech therapy, in addition to other specialised services and care.
The Vice President was joined in the ceremony by Minister of Health Ahmed Naseem, Minister at the President’s Office Ali Shiyam, Special Adviser on Social Policy at the President’s Office Dr. Mustafa Lutfi, and senior management of Addu Equatorial Hospital (AEH) and other relevant agencies.