Work on new IGMH building discontinued, estimated date of completion unknown

Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital’s (IGMH) current in-charge, Medical Director Dr. Ismail Shafeeu has said that a financial loan required for the completion of the 11 story building which is to supplement IGMH is available but, incidents contradicting the Public Finance Act have halted the acquisition of the loan. He said a time for the recommencement of work cannot be specified.

Speaking at the Parliament Committee on Oversight of the Government, answering a summons to committee regarding their review of the issue of lack of space for admission of patients in IGMH, Shafeeu said that a loan needed for the completion of the building is available but, the Tender Board has the authority to decide whether to announce for the tender for the buildings completion. He said that the Tender Board had not yet decided to allow the continuation of work on the building by its current contractor.

Suggesting that the handover of the contract to the current contractor had issues contradicting with the Public Finance Act, Shafeeu said that the Act does not allow the contract to be handed over again, if the amount paid for the construction exceeds over 20 percent of the estimated amount.

“The total that was added on top of the estimated amount was so large that it had been stalled at the Tender Board… if the amount exceeds by 20 per cent of the amount that was bided, the Finance Act does not allow, the percentage is exceeding so it cannot proceeded. The costing for these sorts of projects will change because the Dollar has been devalued,” Ismail Shafeeu said.

He said that a loan of MVR 76 million has been facilitated from the Maldives Islamic Bank and that the current contractor had guaranteed that the building can be completed within five months if the money is granted.

He said that Vice President Mohamed Waheed Deen had put in a lot of effort towards the completion of the 11 story building, but the work is now at a “difficult” stage due to legal issues.

Shafeeu said that the 11 story building is designed with facilities to accommodate 112 beds. He said that a large portion of the new building will be utilized for the treatment of children and pregnant women.

He said that stories 10 and 11 will be designated for the treatment of high level officials.

“The plan by the previous government includes an executive lounge, a presidential suite, to place Jacuzzis in some places, along with two rooms of 4000 square feet,” Shafeeu said.

IGMH is the designated hospital where all healthcare services can be obtained under Aasandha, the government healthcare plan. Committee members questioned Shafeeu on the manner in which money for Aasandha is being spent, to which Shafeeu said that the hospital has been transferred from the authority of the Male’ Health Corporation to the authority of a department under Ministry of Health, and that the money for Aasandha is now received by the Ministry. Shafeeu said that the hospital had received Aasandha money for two months previously, while the hospital was under the authority of the Male’ Health Corporation.