Kuwait provides MVR 150m loan to build hospitals in Maldivian islands

The Maldivian government and the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) have signed a loan agreement worth KWD 3 million (equivalent to USD 9.7 million or MVR 150 million) to construct hospitals in Maldivian islands.

The loan agreement for the ‘Small Islands Hospital Project’ was signed by Finance Minister, Dr. Mohamed Shafeeq and Acting Director General of KFAED, Waleed al-Bahar in a ceremony held at the Finance Ministry headquarters in Male’ on Monday.

According to the Finance Ministry, the project aims to provide necessary health services and enhance efficiency in small Islands located in the north and south of the country.

It also seeks to reduce the cost of transport incurred by residents of small islands to access medical healthcare services, decentralize healthcare services, and provide timely secondary medical care.

According to the Finance Ministry, the project covers “civil works, electro-technical works of the hospital's buildings and services, provision of medical equipment and furniture, engineering services for preparing designs and tender documents and supervision of construction, and project implementation unit.”

The ceremony held to sign the loan agreement for the project was attended by Health Minister Dr. Abdulla Khaleel, and senior officials from the Health Ministry, Finance Ministry, and the Kuwaiti embassy in Colombo.