The Special Needs Centre in Kaafu Atoll Guraidhoo has been transferred today to be under the oversight of the Ministry of Health.
The Special Needs Centre in Kaafu Atoll Guraidhoo has been transferred today to be under the oversight of the Ministry of Health.
The President's Office said that the President had decided on this transfer at today's cabinet meeting based on advice from the Ministers.
The decision was made after discussions were held on a paper submitted by the Ministry of Family and Social Development proposing the Health Ministry be mandated for the administration and oversight of the centre.
With this decision, the centre's budget, ongoing work and existing staff will also be now under the oversight of the Health Ministry.
The centre, dedicated to providing treatment to persons with mental health issues, has previously always been run under the Social and Family Development Ministry, which was earlier the Gender Ministry.
There has been a long raised concern that families refuse to bear responsibility for patients who receive treatment at this centre even after the treatment is completed. There are also many cases where elderly people without any one to care for them also end up at this centre.
As last revealed by the Social and Family Development Ministry, the centre currently has 221 residents. Out of these, 183 persons are mental health patients receiving psychiatric and psychological treatment, while 31 are elderly persons and another 15 are bed-ridden.
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