HRCM notifies ministry to provide clean water for center at Guraidhoo

Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has notified Law and Gender Ministry to establish temporary mechanisms for immediate provision of clean water to the center for people with special needs at Kaafu Guraidhoo.

In a report sent to Law and Gender Ministry by HRCM today, it was specified that there was no access to clean water at the center for bathing and other basic needs for the people who were being treated at the center. It was also stated that there were problems with the sewage system as well at the center. HRCM requested to share with the commission, a detailed plan of actions to solve those issues before 2:00 p.m. on 19 October 2014.

An official of HRCM said that the notification was sent to Law and Gender Ministry regarding the findings of their monitoring visit to the center on 16 September 2014. They found out that water used by people at the center was not at all suitable for sanitation or any other purpose because water was highly contaminated.

“Water used at that center is highly contaminated. According to the doctors in the monitoring team, usage of that water might lead to diseases in the urinary system, diarrhoea and skin diseases. And it was evident from the documents of the center that some people under treatment have already suffered from different types skin diseases,” said the official.

HRCM has been recommending the center to improve water supply from 2009 onwards. However, HRCM said that no action was taken to that issue yet.

Official also said that the sewage junctions placed inside the center were full and bad odor was spread all over the center due to over flow of sewage, and this was highlighted in HRCM’s report in 2013 as well.