An agreement has been signed to design a new building to upgrade Kulhudhuffushi Regional Hospital (KRH) to tertiary-level care.

The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on 21 August by Deputy Minister of Health Ahmed Hamdan Nasir on behalf of the Ministry of Health, while Abdul Aziz Hasan represented The Charter Engineering Company, which has been contracted to carry out the work. The design project, valued at MVR 917,484, is expected to be completed within 100 days. KRH Chief Executive Officer Nazima Ali was also in attendance at the signing ceremony.

The initiative is part of the Government’s efforts to expand tertiary-level healthcare across the atolls. Earlier in April, agreements were signed to develop Thinadhoo’s Dr Abdul Samad Memorial Hospital, Ungoofaaru Regional Hospital, and Naifaru Atoll Hospital. The Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) has been awarded the construction of new buildings in Thinadhoo and Ungoofaaru, while the Road Development Corporation (RDC) has been tasked with upgrading Naifaru Hospital’s ICU and labour room complex.

According to the Health Ministry, the upgrades are intended to reduce the need for patients from the atolls to travel to Malé for specialist care, ensuring more equitable access to advanced medical services nationwide.