Pakistan, under grant aid, will establish a medical school and teaching hospital at the Maldives National University (MNU), it has been confirmed. The design of the facilities were shared at an event held at MNU on Thursday.
The medical school will be equipped with modern facilities to accommodate 100 students at a time and the teaching hospital will be developed as a 300-bed hospital with up-to-date patients facilities and services. Both are scheduled to be built at Hulhumalé with MNU allocating 5,700 square metres of land for the two facilities.
The Vice-Chancellor of MNU, Dr Aishath Shehenaz Adam, said there are many students who want to attend medical school every year; including overseas students.
Dr Adam added that the two floors of the Dharumavantha Hospital, which are currently being utilised for the propose, are not enough to accommodate the students and that a teaching hospital will provide training advancements for doctoral students.
“Hospitals in the Malé region and regional hospitals in the atolls help our students to intern there and get practical experience. However, as the number of students increase, there is less space in the hospitals. So establishing a teaching hospital, along with a medical school, will allow our students to gain experience at those establishments as well,” the vice chancellor noted.
The foundation stone of the medical school and teaching hospital will be laid this year and the work will be completed within the next two and a half years, Dr Adam said.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the Maldives, Vice Admiral (R) Muhammad Fayyaz Gilani, said such efforts are important for the development of the country and society, adding that Pakistan has always appreciated the Maldives’ priority towards building an educated generation. Pakistan will continue to assist in such endeavours, the ambassador assured.
“Pakistan has always wanted Maldives’ education system to become stronger. Especially the health sector will improve. I hope the medical school and teaching hospital will achieve this… The medical school and teaching hospital is an example of the long-standing relationship between Maldives and Pakistan.” he said.
The medical school and teaching hospital were designed by Pakistan’s Atif Nazar Associates.
The MNU Medical School currently has nearly 300 students.
