Maldives to become IAEA member state to seek support for cancer hospital

The government has decided to become a member state of the United Nation’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting to seek aid for the development of the cancer hospital in the Maldives.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Moosa Zameer revealed this during the President’s Office press conference on Sunday, September 1^st, and said the cabinet during its Sunday meeting decided Maldives’ participation at the IAEA.

The Maldives and Bhutan are the only countries that have not become members of the 178-member-state IAEA from the SAARC region.

At the press conference, Zameer said President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu has begun rampant efforts of establishing and opening a cancer hospital in the Maldives.

“Modern medicine is imperative for such an initiative, and we need the Atomic Agency’s assistance, since the procurement of equipment and waste management are under IAEA’s mandate,” Zameer said.

The cabinet tasked the Ministry of Defense to take the lead and collaborate with the Health Ministry and Environment Ministry to begin necessary works to become a member state of the agency, Zameer added.

“The global direction is now towards atomic energy and with it, renewable energy or hydrocarbon usage will reduce. And we believe the Maldives will benefit in taking this global route as well,” the minister added.

The cabinet’s final decision for IAEA membership will be submitted to the parliament for approval, after which the government will begin efforts to become the agency’s member. Zameer said that the Maldives would become a member of, and receive benefits from IAEA before the cancer hospital’s development concludes.

The cancer hospital initiative was launched during the former government, which had decided to establish the hospital in Laamu atoll Gan with assistance from India.

During a virtual meeting, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi affirmed to develop the hospital on December 4, 2019.

A team from India had flown to Maldives to begin work on the project later, but physical works on the project never mobilized before the former regime ended.

The current administration made the decision to establish the hospital in Male’ area, and develop a mental health hospital in Gan instead. Both the parking zone for IGMH employees and the vacant plot east of this zone will be utilized for the development of the cancer hospital, Health Ministry said earlier.