New hospital in Addu to be named Addu Equatorial Hospital

The tertiary hospital under development at the Addu Equatorial Convention Center is to be named the Addu Equatorial Hospital.

The Addu City Council has passed the name and sent it to the Health Ministry for a final decision.

Addu City Mayor Abdulla Sodhiq (Soabe) informed Sun the council opened itself to suggestions from the local community before selecting a name for the new hospital.

Three of the names were popular among a large percentage of the residents.

“A large number of suggestions came in to call it Addu Hospital, Suvadeeb Hospital and Addu Equatorial Hospital. The council voted to call it Addu Equatorial Hospital and has submitted the name to the ministry,” said Soabe, in an exclusive interview to Sun from the council headquarters.

Soabe said the largest number of suggestions it had received was to call it Suvadeeb Hospital, but that the council voted against selecting the name due to the controversy surrounding the name and the high opposition to the name.

According to Soabe, Addu City Council had also considered naming the hospital after a notable figure, but had ruled out the idea as Addu had received service and contribution of so many notable figures.

He said that naming the hospital after just one of them would be a disservice to the rest.

The 100-bed tertiary hospital project in Addu is contracted to Alia Construction for MVR 161.8 million.

The hospital is projected to be ready for business in September.