The government has decided to build a specialized mental health hospital in Male', funded through the state budget.
President Dr Mohamed Muizzu announced the decision at a press conference at the President’s Office, citing rising demand for mental health services. He said 10,954 people have sought treatment since psychological care was added to the Aasandha scheme last January, with more than 8,000 treated in the Male' area.
The President said the hospital had initially been planned as a loan-funded project, but the government opted to allocate state funds to expedite construction.
“This problem has reached a point where greater support is needed in the Maldives. We have now decided to establish a dedicated mental health facility directly from the state budget,” he said.
A separate loan-funded project to build a similar facility on 14,000 square feet of land in Laamu atoll Gan remains under consideration.
The project is estimated to cost around USD 18 million, although the government expects the Male' facility to be completed at a lower cost.
President Muizzu said a site has already been identified in the Male' area, but did not provide further details.
He added that the loan initially earmarked for the Gan project could be redirected to other health sector priorities, although no final decision has been made.
The decision to establish the facility in Male' reflects the high concentration of mental health cases and population density in the capital region, President Muizzu said.
Plans to develop specialized healthcare facilities in Laamu Gan date back to the previous administration, which had initially proposed building a cancer hospital there. However, since there was a lack of progress in the physical works by the end of the administration, the current government decided to develop the cancer hospital in Male' area and instead build a mental health facility in Gan.
The government awarded a contract in October last year to Medo Asia and Chin Hin Group Berhad to build a specialised thalassaemia hospital in Hulhumalé, with financing to be provided by Sinoma International Engineering Co Ltd, the health ministry said.
