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ADK Hospital’s future in doubtMoonisa Easa, Political Analyst
Male’, Maldives, 5th February 2006 (www.olhuala.com) – Sources within the Attorney General’s office inform olhuala.com that several members of public and prominent members of one of the opposition parties, the Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP), have aired concerns over rumours that the government will extend the lease agreement on Male’s only private hospital to ADK enterprises, due to party loyalties. Opposition figures have threatened legal action against the government if the lease is extended.
Opposition analysts speculated that Ahmed Nashid (MP for Dhaalu Atoll), CEO and Managing Director of the ADK group, member of Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party’s (DRP) temporary Executive Committee, joined the DRP to try to ensure that his lease was extended without competition. In recent attacks, opposition media has questioned the quality of service of the hospital.
ADK Enterprises has operated the hospital for ten years, having been awarded the lease in 1996. At present the hospital has fifty private beds and provide a wide range of inpatient and outpatient services ranging from laparoscopic surgery to physiotherapy. The agreed lease period ends in September this year.
Olhuala.com understands that many interested parties including doctors who run private clinics, local and foreign entrepreneurs and established, international private hospital chains have expressed their interest to the Ministry of Health.
The Apollo Hospitals Group, which operates 32 world-class hospitals in Asia, is among the better-known interested parties.
Since the tsunami of Boxing Day 2004, foreign governments including the government of Singapore have offered to construct multi-storey hospitals in the Maldives. “This might be a golden opportunity for Maldivians” said one of our sources in the Ministry of Health.
“The Maldivian government has numerous options to choose from as they seek to overhaul the health system. It could decide to stick with ADK, a reliable company or they could announce interested parties to bid for the lease or decide to award it to a bigger and established international company” said our source in the ministry.
Olhuala.com understands that discussions are ongoing between the Health and Finance Ministries as well as prominent government figures and a decision should be announced in the coming months.
Sources within the DRP say that Nashid’s sympathies are believed to still lie with the MDP, and that most DRP members now regret his election to the temporary Executive Committee. Although his signature was seen as a major coup at the time, such is the DRP’s growing control of parliament that most now feel that he is dispensable if he consistently fails to toe the party line.
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